Watching Brad

[erasfred]

Thanks.

And 'uh oh'.

All my Afrikaans comes from online translators and dictionaries (which is, in fact, very limited and aimed more at tourists). I can only imagine all the mistakes I've already made.

Don,t you worry Niel. From an Afrikaans speaker your afrikaans writing is just perrrrfect.


Fred ZA

 

[Trent0n1]

Another beautifully written chapter Neil....thank you!

Trent

 

[caddymac]

Great Chapter. I am thankful the son is shining brighter than his father! Wonderful job Neil.

 

[Hurretje]

Hello Neil,

I have been reading this marvellous story in one piece the last few weeks and I must say what a truly amazing achievement you have made by writing in such a way that all the characters came to life and ever so dear to me. I'm from the Netherlands, so English is not my mother tongue, but reading your story certainly helps to improve my English. I am very much looking forward to your next chapter...

 

[sheep]

I just returned from South Beach (without Brad) and had this very powerful chapter to contend with. It should be interesting when Barry meets Big Dan.

 

[gsdx]

WATCHING BRAD
Part 180​

Dan Phillips finally accepted my extended hand and he took it into his and shook it. From the strength of his grip, though, I got the feeling that he was telling me silently that he could ‘whoop my ass good' and that I should tread carefully. The ice beneath my feet was extremely thin.

I took careful note of that message as I turned toward the van. Brad's window was rolled down a discreet distance, enough to allow some air into the vehicle but not enough for us to see Brad sitting on the other side very clearly through the tinted glass. I recognized his silhouette immediately, of course, but anyone who didn't know him would have trouble deciding what he might look like. I twirled my index finger horizontally in the air indicating that I wanted him to roll the window down, which he did. "Bring out the kids," I called to him.

Brad motioned me forward with a wave of his hand. I excused myself and approached the van. Behind me, I could hear Daniel's father mumble something, but I couldn't understand what he said. I did, however, hear and understand a sharp admonishment from Daniel's mother. "Dan!" she warned in a sharp whisper.

I ignored it and continued toward the van. "You'd better talk to the kids," he said quietly as he opened the door and stepped out. "They're pretty upset."

I slid open the side door as the twins were sliding out of their safety seats. Lindsay quickly hopped out and onto the sidewalk beside me. Her eyes were still filled with the tears she'd been shedding as she had watched the drama unfolding only moments ago. "Is Daniel still coming for the barbeque, Daddy?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes, Sweetheart," I assured her, "he's coming."

I could see the relief washing through her, but the twins were a different matter.

Jeremy climbed between the front seats and onto the seat recently vacated by Brad, then jumped out of the van and into Brad's waiting arms. Justin jumped into mine. There wasn't a smile on either of their faces. Instead, I could see tear-stained cheeks and eyes flooded with anxiety and concern. They weren't really crying, but it was clear to me that they were both very close to it. Not surprising after what had just occurred.

"Justin?" I said as I hugged him gently. "What's wrong?"

"We're scared," he whimpered softly.

"What are you afraid of?"

Justin, still pouting and teetering on the brink of bursting into tears, held out his arm and his index finger and said as he pointed to Dan Phillips, "That man fighted with you."

"We thought he was going to hurt you," Jeremy added from beside me.

I hugged Justin tighter. "Oh, no, my Sonskyns," I assured them. "That's Daniel's father. We weren't fighting. We were just having a little disagreement. Daniel's father didn't want him to come by himself, so I invited them all. And now they're all coming with us for the barbeque this afternoon. That's what we were talking about."

My son looked at me with wariness clearly visible in his eyes. "Promise?" he asked.

"I promise my very best promise, Justin," I told him. "We're all just going to go home and have fun this afternoon, okay?"

I was extremely pleased to see a smile appear on their lips and extremely hopeful that the afternoon would turn out exactly as I had promised.

"Come on," I said. "Let's go meet them." I carried Justin in my left arm as Lindsay took my right hand and, with Brad and Jeremy walking beside us, we went back to greet Daniel and his parents.

Dan Phillips looked at Brad and, once again, mumbled something, but I could guess what it might have been when he was rewarded with another warning from is wife plus an elbow jabbed into his ribs.

Lindsay was the first to speak when we drew to a halt in front of them. "Hi, Daniel," she said pleasantly. She was still holding my hand.

"Hi, Lindsay," Daniel replied.

Tilly Phillips grinned brightly at my daughter and said, "So, you're Lindsay. I'm very happy to meet you finally. Daniel talks about you all the time. I'm so sorry about your house."

"Thank you," Lindsay replied politely and returned the greeting without releasing my hand.

"Sweetheart?" I said to her. "This is Daniel's father, Mr. Phillips."

Dan's greeting was surprisingly pleasant and seemed genuinely sincere. He bent himself over, bending his legs slightly and planting his hands firmly on his knees and, with an enormous smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye, he said, "So, you're the little lady who stole my boy's heart, eh?"

"No," Lindsay replied sheepishly. "I'm Lindsay."

Dan laughed as he stood up straight again. "Cute and funny," he commented. "I like that."

"These are our sons," I continued. "This one is Justin and the other is Jeremy."

"Oh, my goodness!" Tilly exclaimed. "When you said they were identical twins, you weren't kidding, were you?"

"How in hell do you tell them apart?" That was from her husband.

"Honey! Watch your language! And Ted can tell them apart because he's their father." Then, to me, she added, "You can tell them apart, can't you?"

I smiled politely at her and nodded. "From across town," I assured her.

"Of course you would," she replied with a small, embarrassed smile, but swiftly amended it into a happier smile when she greeted the twins.

I forged ahead with the final introduction. With a heavy breath, I said to them, "And, last but not least, this is my husband, Brad Hayes. Brad? This is Tilly and Dan Phillips."

Brad's hand came out in greeting and Tilly was quick to shake it. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Brad."

"The pleasure is mine," Brad replied with his most endearing chipped-tooth smile. "And it's Brad de Villiers Hayes without a hyphen."

"Oh, come on, man," Dan Phillips said somewhat harshly. "You're putting me on, right? Please don't tell me you took his last name when you married him!"

"Dan!" Tilly shouted. She did not hide her annoyance with her husband this time.

"No, it's okay, Ma'am," Brad said with his charming and disarming smile still on his lips. "I incorporated Ted's name into mine because I'm adopting the twins, too. I figure it will make it a lot easier for them."

"How very clever," Tilly said. "You maintain your own identity but you become an integral part of the family at the same time. Very clever indeed."

"I think it's stupid," Dan said under his breath, but I heard him and it earned him another poke in the ribs from his wife's elbow.

She was quick to change the subject. "Is there anything you would like us to bring with us? Food? Dishes? Condiments?"

"Just yourselves," I told her, "and your swimsuits if you'd like to go swimming in the pool. And maybe some towels. I'm not sure how many Mom has there."

"I can make sandwiches or something."

"We have enough food," I assured her.

"We'll go get ready, then," Tilly said. "We won't be long." She began to turn away but turned back again to talk to the twins, she asked, "How would you boys would like a Freezie while you wait for us to get ready?"

Justin's head whipped around to look at me, his eyes and face full of hope, and I nodded.

"Yes, please," they both said in unison.

"What kind?" Tilly asked.

"Red," Justin replied.

"Orange," was Jeremy's response.

"Lindsay?"

"Grape, please."

Tilly ticked them off in her mind with blinks of her eyes and in the air with her index finger. "Right," she said finally. "Daniel will bring them right out." To me, she added, "I'll pack up a few more to take along with us. We won't be long."

"Take your time," I told her.

They hurried into the house and I turned to Brad. "Got your phone?" I asked in a hushed but urgent whisper.

"Yeah, why?"

"Call your parents and get them out to Mom and Dad's place tout de suite."

"Why?"

"Because I told Dan that they would be there," I told him with a subtle jerk of my head toward Lindsay. Fortunately, Brad understood immediately and nodded his head. As he pulled his phone out of his pocket, I added, "I'll phone Nathan and find out if he's got enough food for four more people in case he needs us to pick anything up for him."

By the time Daniel returned with the Freezies, the phone calls had been made and everything was set. John and Bernice would be there within the hour and Bernice promised to take along some dessert and some home-made snacks (read: Cookies and cupcakes and brownies! Oh my!) for the kids. Nathan assured me that there would be plenty of food for everyone and that the extra guests would not pose a problem for him. "Bring ‘em on," he said happily, revelling in the challenge of a barbeque dinner for fourteen people.

We all sat down under a tree out of the sun as we waited for Daniel's parents. Daniel waited with us, sucking on his own grape Freezie whilst the twins shared theirs with us. We didn't have to wait long, though. Shortly after we got the twins cleaned up with the wet wipes we keep in the van, Tilly and Dan Phillips came out of their house and locked the door behind them. Dan carried a small cooler.

Lindsay rode with Daniel in the back seat of his parents' car as they followed us back to Maple Grove. I would rather she had ridden in the van with us, but it was a show of trust and faith on my part, I suppose, to allow her to ride with Dan Phillips driving the car.

As we rolled along the road toward Maple Grove, Brad commented, "I think I'm just going to wear these shorts in the pool, Pops."

"I thought you'd wear the new suit we bought."

"Some other time," Brad said quietly over the hum of the engine. "When Daniel's father isn't there. He gives me the creeps and I don't like the way he looks at me."

"I'd hoped you didn't notice that," I told him.

"Oh, I noticed, alright," he replied as he turned his head toward me. He had an annoyed tone in his voice. "He doesn't really approve of me, does he?"

I met his gaze momentarily. "He doesn't really approve of either of us." My attention returned to the road ahead of me. "That's okay, though. I'm not all that keen on him, either, Brad, but I'm tolerating him for Lindsay, and if I have to invite him home to dinner to make my daughter happy, then so be it."

"Oh, don't worry. I'll tolerate him, too," Brad said. "But I won't guarantee becoming friends with him."

I had to agree with Brad. I couldn't guarantee it, either.

* * * * *

With introductions finished, I left Brad and the others to take our guests out to the back yard and to keep them company whilst I took the twins upstairs to change. I would change into my own swim shorts at the same time. "Now, I want you to stop at the bathroom on your way to your room and go pee before you get changed, whether you have to go or not," I told them. "I don't want any accidents in the swimming pool. Got it?"

They gave me a ‘thumbs up' sign and took off down the hall toward their room. I waited until they turned into the bathroom and listened for the delicate tinkle of their pee before heading into our bedroom to get myself changed.

Minutes later, we were heading downstairs and out the back door to the yard and the pool with the twins strutting along beside me in their brand new, matching, Speedo-style swim trunks. Matching terrycloth towels were wrapped proudly around their shoulders.

Tilly was sitting in lawn chairs near Mom and Dad, enjoying the afternoon shade from one of the many maple trees in the back yard. Lindsay and Daniel were already splashing around together on their individual pool noodles and being supervised by Dan Daniel's father, who waded around in the shallow end. Daniel had two noodles and was trying to climb aboard them both and ride them like a pony. He wasn't succeeding.

Brad was waiting for us beside the pool, standing beside Nathan and Barry and the pool toys. We'd already brought all our pool noodles and toys and such from the house. Dad and John had smashed the lock on the gate and had drained our small above-ground pool the morning after the fire as we were flying home from England and had gathered all the toys together for us. Brad had already taken off his shirt and shoes and socks and was ready to jump in. Barry and Nathan were dressed for the pool as well.

Jeremy broke away from us and went tearing off toward his Daddy Brad, his terrycloth towel flapping behind him like Superman's cape. Justin hurried to follow his brother and I rushed to follow them both. The twins grabbed up a noodle ring and stepped into it, lifting it to beneath their armpits, and promptly jumped into the pool. Brad and I slipped in after them and were quickly followed by Nathan and Barry.

Dan Phillips stayed in the pool for a time, keeping an eye on his son, but, for the most part, he ignored us and kept to himself. When John and Bernice finally arrived, his wife called him over. Dan turned to me and said, "Watch my kid," then hopped out of the pool and went to join his wife and to meet Brad's parents.

Lindsay and Daniel left the pool soon afterward. "Don't forget the sun block, Sweetheart," I called after her. She ran to get a tube from her grandmother, then she and Daniel went to sit by themselves on the swings. It was Justin who noticed the cupcakes they were nibbling on - the home-made cupcakes Grandma Hayes had brought with her. That put a sudden and abrupt ending to the boys' fun in the pool as they scrambled onto solid land and tore off without their towels to greet their Grandma Hayes and to score a frosting-covered treat with colour ful candy sprinkles from her.

We joined them, of course, patting them dry and setting them in our laps as they munched their treats. They picked off bits of cake with their fingers and popped them into their mouths before noisily licking the sweet frosting from their fingers. Twice, Justin spun himself around and offered me a taste of his daintily-frosted digits. The third time he tried, though, he missed and stuck his finger up my nose. He thought it was hilariously funny, but I ultimately had to excuse myself and go into the house so I could extract a stubborn candy sprinkle from my left nostril.

Not long afterward, with the boys suitably sun blocked and playing in the sand box and play fort and swings, the adults were all sitting together and chatting. Tilly was clearly enjoying the company and even Dan appeared to be softening and becoming more comfortable and relaxed around us.

"I have to admit," he said at one point. "You guys aren't anything like I expected you would be."

"Would it be improper of me to ask what you expected?" my father asked him.

Tilly giggled slightly and tittered, "I just love that accent."

Dad presented her with a pleasant smile. "It is convenient, then, that I have it." Tilly giggled again, but Dad returned his attention to her husband.

"I don't know, really," Dan said. "I mean, I don't really know any gay guys and I don't hang around with any. Especially couples. I don't know. I guess I expected these guys to be all over each other all the time. You know, kissing and hugging and stuff. I just thought that's what they did."

"Ah," said my father. "I understand. Very much the same as you and your lovely wife."

"We don't do that," Dan said abruptly. "Not out in public, at least."

"Then why should you think it would be so with my son and his husband, and his friends?"

"Well," Dan started, "they. . . I mean. . . they're. . ."

"They're more like us than you want to admit, Honey," Tilly finished. "You can't always believe what you're told or what you think. Sometimes it's just not true."

"Your wife speaks wisely, Mr. Phillips," Dad added. "I strongly suggest you listen to her. Like you, I do not necessarily agree with the homosexual lifestyle, but I accept it because it is now a part of my son's life and family. Had I not accepted it, I would not be enjoying this moment." He nodded toward the children and we all looked in that direction. The twins were climbing the rope ladder into the fort and sliding down the slide. Lindsay and Daniel were sitting side-by-side on swings, their toes touching the ground beneath them and rocking them gently and slowly back and forth as they whispered their private thoughts. "One does what one must do for one's family," he concluded.

Dan Phillips looked at him, then turned his attention to me, staring into my eyes and holding my gaze for several anxious heartbeats. And then he did something I didn't expect he would ever do. He looked at Brad, and then to Barry and Nathan, and then he apologized to us.

We all accepted his apology, of course, but I looked toward my daughter and his son and reminded him that there was someone else who was also deserving of an apology.

"You're right," Dan Phillips replied. "They do, don't they? ‘Specially my kid." He rose from his lawn chair and went over to the swings where he crouched down in front of the Daniel and Lindsay and spoke to them for a few moments, resulting in him getting a gigantic hug and kiss on the cheek from his son and a handshake and smile from Lindsay.

They talked for a few minutes more, then Dan patted them both on one knee, rose to his feet, and returned to join us. As he sat down in his lawn chair again, he looked at Barry and said, "Danny tells me you're a cop with the city force."

"Yes," Barry replied, "I am."

Tilly Phillips let out a sudden, sharp squeal. "I thought you looked familiar!" she said loudly. "It was you!!"

To Be Continued​

 

[gambit2212]

And so the twists and turns continue. One minute anxious over Daniel's father's hostility, to his sudden softening over the situation, to yet another surprise plot twist with Tilly and Barry. Please keep them coming Neil!!!!

 

[thermodynamics]

I love that Dan eventually came around and saw things the "right" way.

Thank you for not leaving us with a dreadful cliffhanger!

 

[walkabout]

Another awesome chapter mate

 

[Hurretje]

Another great chapter! This just keeps getting better and better!

Hur

 

[Kyanimal]

Neil ...

You are holding me in Thrall, and Awe, with Your Tremendous Talents, as Usual!!

Keep smilin'!!
Chaz

 

[harry113]

Thanks Neil, wonderful chapter. I'm glad Daniel's dad softened.
What now between Barry & Tilly ?? !!
Fascinating stuff, you always manage to bring in something different !!
Harry

 

[DeafFoxDemon]

i finally catch up to the story, it had been while since i has last read the story. this is one of my favorite story ever

 

[upyrkilt469]

Great read Neil. Another cliffhanger of sorts. What is it with Tilly and Barry? Guess I'll just have to wait for the next chapter. Thanks.
Vic

 

[sheep]

Neil
here is my plan. When you publish the next chapter, I will not read it. When you publish the following one I will read the one I missed, through your inevitable cliffhanger until the resolution. The balance I will bank for another week. This, I feel, is an appropriate way to deal with anticipatory nausea

 

[mikell6581]

Hey, neil love the rest of the story.
But we need moooore.
This is bad to be this hooked on a story, not really just very imp.
Thanks for the story
mikell

 

[ronboy]

Neil.....................

because you deserve it!

 

[caddymac]

Neil, you manage to give us some interesting twists. I am glad Dan is changing his tone just a little. HUM, what is next? (-:
Thank you.

 

[kcm17480]

The last two chapters were very interesting in topic and excellently written. I loved how you put that all together.

 

[gsdx]

WATCHING BRAD
Part 181​

I don't think anyone was more surprised by Tilly's boisterous proclamation than Barry himself.

"I've been sitting here," Tilly continued excitedly, "thinking I'd met you before and trying to figure out where. It finally came to me when Dan said you're a police officer."

"I'm sorry, Ma'am," Barry offered politely, "I meet so many people. . ."

"Oh, of course," Tilly said. "I wouldn't expect you to remember me. It was so long ago."

Barry gave her a pleasant smile and held up one hand in self-defense. "Look, if it had anything to do with a ticket, I'm afraid I can't. . ."

Tilly laughed out loud, a cheerful, uplifting laugh, and it only made me like her more. "Oh, you silly!" she said through her laugh. "No, it was last January during that ice and snow storm."

"Blue Toyota," Barry said, nodding. "Four-Oh-One overpass."

Tilly's eyes twinkled. "You do remember."

"I do now," Barry smiled. "You had longer hair back then."

"Yes, I did."

"We saw that on the news," I said. "You were in that?"

"Right in the middle of it," Tilly said almost proudly.

"What happened?" my mother asked.

"A nasty bit of weather," Barry explained, "which happened just in time for the afternoon rush hour. A nice layer of freezing rain before the snow hit. Made a helluva mess of the roads. Tilly got caught in a chain reaction. Nothing really serious, and no-one was really hurt, but she got stuck with her front bumper kissing the backside of a UPS truck and was wedged between an SUV and the guardrail. Shoved her right into the rail and pinned her against the concrete. A taxi blocked her in from behind."

"Oh, dear," Mom said to Tilly as she shook her head and clicked her tongue. "Tsk Tsk Tsk. That must have been ever-so-frightening for you."

"I was absolutely terrified," Tilly continued, "and yelling and screaming for help. I couldn't get out of my car. But then Barry came along and checked to see if I was okay and I said I was and he promised that he would be right back. He ran to a few other cars behind me to make sure everyone was okay and then came right back and stayed with me until they could get the SUV moved out of the way. It took Barry and two other guys to pry the door open. I didn't know how badly it was crumpled in until I got out and could see it. If I hadn't been so cold, I think I might have fainted."

"Are you the one who gave her your coat?" Dan asked our policeman friend.

"That was me," Barry replied.

"Coat?" a surprised Nathan asked. "You didn't tell me about giving someone your coat. No wonder it took me two hours to get you warmed up again that night."

"Whoa!" Dan exclaimed as he held up his hands. "TMI!"

"Well," Tilly interrupted, "I, for one, am extremely grateful for your sacrifice. I was so cold."

"It was my pleasure to help."

"Hey, don't get me wrong, man," Dan added. "I'm grateful, too, but what I don't understand is why you did it."

"I beg your pardon?" Barry said.

Dan leaned forward in his chair, clasping his hands together and leaning on his knees with his elbows. "I mean, I could understand if it was me or some other guy, but why would you give up your coat for my wife?"

"Maybe because she was cold?" Barry offered, his voice rising sarcastically. His sarcasm, however, was wasted on Dan Phillips.

"But she's a women."

"Obviously," Barry said with a quick glance toward Tilly. "And your point is. . . ?"

"Well, you're gay."

Barry sat back in his chair and stared at Dan Phillips for a few long moments before saying, "That has to be the stupidest thing I've ever heard anyone say."

Dan Phillips looked positively stunned. "Why?" He asked. "It makes perfect sense."

"How do you figure?" Barry asked.

Dan shrugged his shoulders in confusion. "Well, it stands to reason, doesn't it? I mean, you're gay, right? You like shaggin' guys, right? You don't like girls, right? So why would you go out of your way to help them?" He sat back and a rather boastful look crossed his ruggedly-handsome face. "Admit it, Barry. If it had been me in that car instead of my wife, not only would have given me your coat, you probably would have carried me off that bridge, too, right?"

Barry remained silent.

Dan grinned widely, almost in triumph, as his hands swept down his sides, indicating his body. "Just as I thought. Like you could pass this up."

"Not only would I have passed it up, Dan," Barry replied finally, "I would have let you freeze your ass off."

Dan glanced quickly at Nathan, then back to Barry and leaned forward in a conspiratorial whisper, raising his flattened hand to his cheek to hide his lips from Nathan's eyes. "Right," he replied. "Gotcha. Our little secret." And then, with a wink, he sat back again.

Barry sighed heavily in exasperation and sat back in his chair. Everyone was deadly silent as the two squared off. The silence was broken only by the sounds of nature and of the children playing across the yard.

Finally, Barry spoke again. "Tell me, Dan. If you were walking down the street and you saw a man with his arm in a cast and trying to change a flat tire, would you help?"

"Sure," Dan replied, practically swelling his chest in pride. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Well, you're straight, right?" Barry continued. "You like shaggin' the ladies, right? Why would you even think of helping another guy?"

Dan Phillips opened his mouth to speak and suddenly closed it again and sat back in his chair. I swear, if it had been a cartoon afternoon, a light bulb would have appeared over Dan's head and the light bulb would have came on. He slumped back in his chair and practically shrank into it as if he were trying to disappear entirely.

"Do you have any gay friends, Dan?" I asked.

Dan shook his head ‘no'.

"Do you even know any gay people?"

"Except for you guys, no. But you guys are nothing like I figured you would be."

"And what did you figure we would be like?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

"I thought you'd be like that fairy guy on Will and Grace, but you're more like Will and I always thought he was so phoney. I mean, you see those fairy guys prancing all over the city and swishing around. That's what I expected you'd be like. I didn't think you'd be acting like me."

"We're not acting, Dan," I assured him. "This is the real us. Not all gay guys act like Jack McFarland. A lot of us are pretty-much just like everyone else. Even you."

"I'm beginning to see that, Ted," Dan admitted. He glanced over at Lindsay and Daniel who were still sitting on the swings and talking quietly together. They were holding fingers. Dan Phillips looked back at me. . . at us. "Look. I don't particularly like what you are, and I won't even pretend to understand it. I'm not sure if I ever will. I don't agree with your lifestyle, but it's your lifestyle, not mine." He glanced back at his son again. "All I want is for my boy to be happy."

"That's all any parent wants for their child." That, surprisingly, was from Bernice Hayes, but she stole the words right out of my mouth and spoke them for me.

"Amen," said Tilly Phillips softly, repeated by Bernice and my mother.

Dan leaned forward, his fingers entwined and his elbows resting on his knees. I watched him as he watched his hands, his right thumb rubbing against the valley of skin on his left hand between his other thumb and index finger. That was the first time I noticed the little, blue, tattooed star there. When he looked up again, he looked at our parents. "When did you figure out your sons were gay?"

"When they told us," John Hayes replied.

"But you must have had some idea," Dan insisted. "You had to know they were gay, right?"

"One cannot suspect what one's child does not even know," Dad replied.

Dan Phillips appeared totally perplexed. "I'm not sure I follow you. Are you saying they didn't know they were gay?"

"Indeed," Dad said.

Dan nodded. I thought he was beginning to understand until he spoke. "They were in denial."

"No," Dad replied. "They were looking for love in the wrong people until they met each other."

Dan looked at me then. "You mean you didn't know you were gay until you met Brad?"

"No," I replied honestly. "I never even thought about being gay until I met Brad. Until that moment, I was very happy being straight." I jerked my head in Lindsay's direction. "In fact, being straight gave me the most precious gift life can give someone. But, when you fall in love, you fall in love with the person. I fell in love with Brad, and then I adapted to it because I had to if I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him."

Again, Tilly said softly, "Amen."

Dan Phillips shook his head back and forth. "One of these days, you're going to have to sit down and explain all of this to me."

"Any time," I told him.

Dan looked back at his son and my daughter for a few long, silent moment, before turning his attention back to me. "Promise me you won't let anyone hurt my kid," he said.

"Promise me the same," I told him.

"You first," Dan replied.

I nodded slightly and gave him a sincere smile. He needed to feel in control, and it was a feeling I knew well. "I'll take care of Daniel for you."

Dan Phillips nodded. "And I'll take care of Lindsay for you."

He stood up then and stepped toward me, his hand held out before him. I took it and shook it. His powerful grip was an indication of what he could do to me if I broke my promise. The look in my eye told him what I would do to him if he broke his promise.

"Truce?" he said.

"Truce," I replied.

* * * * *

The barbeque supper was over. Nathan had outdone himself with his hamburgers and they tasted better than they had ever tasted before. He'd somehow found yet another secret ingredient to add to them which made them even more special than ever.

The Phillips family had gone home, but John and Bernice remained behind and were sitting in the kitchen playing Euchre with Mom and Dad and drinking tea and coffee. The twins were in the bathtub and Nathan and Barry sat in the livingroom with Brad and I. Lindsay came in from the kitchen, bored from watching her grandparents playing cards, and climbed into my lap, straddling my legs and wrapping her arms around my neck and giving me a great big hug.

"Thank you, Daddy," she said.

"You're welcome, Sweetheart."

She leaned back, her hands still clasped behind my neck as she looked into my eyes and asked, "Do you think Daniel had fun?"

"Oh, I know he did, Sweetheart."

"Really?" she asked. "I was hoping he did, but I couldn't tell."

"Probably because you were worrying too much that he wasn't," I told her, and then I puckered up my lips for her to kiss. She didn't disappoint me.

She leaned back again. "Do you think he likes me?"

Nathan was eager to answer for me. "Oh, my Princess, he likes you alright. I saw how he carried your hamburger and your Sprite for you when you went back to the swings, and then he walked all the way over to the table to get you a piece of cake with two scoops of ice cream for dessert, right?"

Lindsay nodded.

"Well," Nathan concluded, "boys only get two scoops of ice cream for girls they like. Girls that they don't like only get one scoop."

Lindsay appeared skeptical. "Really?"

It was Barry's turn to speak. "Your Uncle Nathan really likes you, doesn't he?"

Again, Lindsay nodded.

"How many scoops of ice cream does he always give to you and your brothers?"

"Two," she replied.

"And how many scoops do the rest of us get?"

She thought for a moment before answering. "Only one. Except for Brad. He gets as many as he wants."

"He's special," Barry smiled, trying to hide his blush, "but you're right."

"So, Uncle Nathan likes me and J and J and Brad more than he likes you and Daddy?"

Barry smiled his most charming smile and nodded. "Apparently," he replied. "And that's how we can tell that Daniel likes you very much. Boys don't do things like that for girls they don't like."

Lindsay turned her eyes back to mine and I watched as the light of happiness flood into her face, and I felt the warms of happiness flooding into my heart.

Beside me, Brad jabbed me playfully in the ribs. "Hear that, Pops? I'm special."

I gave him my best smile and said, "I know. Now you can cart that special butt of yours upstair and get the boys out of the tub."

"Your command is my wish," Brad grinned and leaned forward to kiss me.

As Brad rose to his feet, I said to Lindsay, "It's your turn next, Sweetheart. Do you want some help filling the tub?"

"Can I have a shower tonight?"

"Sure, if you want to," I told her. "Just make sure the shower curtain is inside the tub, okay? And make sure to stand on the rubber mat. I don't want you slipping and falling."

"I will." She grabbed me in her arms once more and hugged me close. "I love you, Daddy," she whispered into my ear.

"I love you, too, Sweetheart," I whispered back and sent her on her way.

When she was gone, I asked Barry and Nathan. "What do you think of Dan? Any hope for him?"

"Oh, I think so, Ted," Nathan said. "Sure, he came here in the first place just for his son, but I could see changes in him from the time he got here until he left. Like in the swimming pool. At first, it was like he was trying to stay as far away from you as possible, like we were contagious or something. But, when you were in there after we had that talk, I was watching him as I did the barbeque. He didn't seem to have a problem at all anymore."

"Yeah. And when Brad started roughhousing with me," Barry added, picking up the conversation, "and all the kids joined in, Dan got into it as well and even got into tackling and dunking us, and he let us tackle and dunk him, too. When we first met and he shook my hand, I felt like he was doing everything he could just to keep himself from blowing chunks all over me. By the end, though, we were almost like buddies or something."

"I noticed that, too," I said.

"I'm pretty sure he'll come around, Ted," Nathan concluded. "It might take some time for him to settle in completely, but as long as Daniel and Lindsay remain friends. And he seems genuinely eager to learn. I don't think he'll be a problem anymore."

* * * * *

The night was warm and humid again and the four of us went back outside for one more dip in the pool before Barry and Nathan went home. We laughed and played like a bunch of college freshmen. Later, we sat together on the side of the pool with our feet dangling in the water.

"You going to stay here until you get the new house built, Ted?" Barry asked.

"Gee-sus, Murphy, I hope not!" I told him emphatically. "I had enough of living with my parents when they moved here from Crystal Beach, and that was just for a few weeks. I couldn't handle it here for the months it would take to rebuild."

"Going to rent, then?"

"Probably. We can't stay here anyway when the kids start school in September. I don't want them getting bused to another school and then have to change again when the house is built and we move back."

"So, you'll be looking for a place in the same district," Nathan commented, nodding his head gently.

"Yup."

"Doesn't really give you much time, does it?"

"No, it doesn't," I sighed. "Worse comes to worst, though, we'll stay in motel suite. There's a few in our district."

"Expensive," Barry commented.

I shrugged my shoulders. "The fire insurance will pay most of it. I'll just have to pick up the slack."

"Well, anything we can do to help, just ask, okay?" That was from Nathan.

"If you don't, I'll handcuff you both to each other." I don't have to tell you who said that.

"Ooo!" Brad exclaimed excitedly. "That could be fun!"

I had to agree.

To Be Continued​