The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation - 48. Changing Family Dynamics

Jesse’s eighteenth birthday was on Friday, so I wished him a happy birthday when he came down for breakfast. I also made sure that Noah and Elliot knew it was Jesse’s birthday as well and explained that we’d celebrate it this weekend, when we’d have a cookout with the extended family. What I didn’t tell them was that I had other plans that I wasn’t divulging yet.

You see, I intended to make a big deal about this birthday and was planning to take everyone to the restaurant tonight for a private family celebration. I didn’t tell any of the boys about this, although I had informed their fathers, but I finally divulged the information to them when I picked up Noah and Elliot from their practices. Since Noah hadn’t been with us for one of these parties before, I had to emphasize to him that he needed to put on some nice clothes, because we were going out to eat. I was certain Elliot would help him pick out something appropriate.

When I arrived back home with that pair, I finally told Jesse what I’d planned too. I think this came as a total surprise to him.

“Why are you doing this?” he asked. “You usually only do it for special birthdays.”

“Well, I feel that turning eighteen IS a special birthday. It shows you’re not a little boy anymore, because you’re now old enough to vote and serve in the military,” I explained. “Not only that, but it’s also your senior year in high school and I feel that helps to make this birthday special too. Besides, it’s just something I want to do for you.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Jesse responded. “I didn’t expect it, but I really appreciate it. You always know how to make me feel good – and special.”

The boys then ran off to get changed, while we waited for the others to get home from work. I’d told Little Ricky, Dion and Trey about my plans the previous night, so they’d be prepared. Plus it gave Dion and Trey a little extra time to make sure Joshie was ready to go too.

When Jake, Danny and Brandon arrived home from work, they all hurried off to get cleaned up and changed as well. When they were ready, we drove down to the restaurant. When we arrived at the small private dining room, Noah’s mouth hit the ground, although not quite literally. He was just amazed by this place.

“Dang, this is fancy,” he mumbled.

“It is very nice,” I agreed, “and that’s why we like to come here for special events.”

“So we’re gonna eat here for Jesse’s birthday, but then you’re gonna have people come to the house tomorrow for another birthday party for him?” he asked, to confirm he’d understood correctly.

“Yes, but we only do this for special birthdays, like Jesse’s eighteenth birthday,” I replied.

“That’s still pretty nice,” Noah stated. “I’ve never had two birthday parties for the same birthday before.”

I think we all made a mental note of his statement.

At this point, we all took our seats. Noah, Brandon, Danny and Elliot sat at one table. Dion, Trey and Joshie sat at another and Jake, Jesse, Little Ricky and I sat at a third. However, we were all close enough so we could still chat with one another, if we wanted to.

Danny and Brandon told Noah he could order whatever he wanted from the menu. After looking at the prices though, he had a question.

“But these all cost a lot,” Noah stated. “Don’t they have a cheaper menu?”

“No, they don’t,” Brandon told him, “but since it’s a special occasion, we’ll splurge a bit.”

Noah still looked dubious, but then Elliot leaned over and whispered something to him. None of the rest of us ever learned what he said, but it caused Noah to nod his head slightly, just before he went back to reading the menu.

Once we had all ordered, Danny and Brandon explained to Noah that tomorrow at the cookout he was going to meet many members of our extended family, plus some of Jesse’s friends. Elliot quickly added that Hayden would be coming too, since he had introduced Noah to Hayden after one of his diving practices. Noah spent the next couple of minutes digesting all of this information.

After a brief delay, our food was delivered and the boys began to ravenously devour their meals. I guess the amount of energy they’d expended at practices, along with the lengthy span of time since they’d eaten lunch, had contributed to their current enthusiastic actions. I swear I could see sparks coming from their silverware, as they greedily attacked the food on their plates.

Once the boys were somewhat full – at least their plates were empty, the waiter came in and removed the dirty dishes. A short time after that, he returned with Jesse’s birthday cake, a stack of dessert plates and more forks. After we sang happy birthday to him, Jesse blew out the candles and cut the cake. Elliot helped and passed out a piece to each of us. I also noticed that the boys made sure Noah got a slice about twice the size of the rest of us. Don’t worry. It didn’t go to waste. I’m not sure where he put it, especially after all he’d already eaten, but his piece of cake disappeared quickly.

Once we’d all had our cake, I handed Jesse his birthday card. He opened and read it, and then looked at me with a quizzical expression.

“What’s the surprise I’m supposed to ask you about?” he wondered, referring to the cryptic note I’d written in his card.

“I’m sorry that I don’t have a present to give you here, but you will definitely be getting some things tomorrow, at the cookout. However, tonight I have an announcement to make that I think will please you. Tomorrow, before the cookout, I’m taking you down to my friend’s car lot so you can pick out your first car. It won’t be a new one, but this way you’ll have it to get back and forth to school this year and then be able to use it to take you to and from college next year. Happy birthday, Jesse, from Pop and me.”

Nearly as soon as he heard what we planned to do, Jesse leaped out of his seat and rushed toward me, so he could give me a hug. Then he did the same thing to Jake.

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,” he said over and over again. “I can’t believe you’re gonna do this for me.”

“We are. It isn’t a joke, but it comes with a certain amount of responsibility too,” I cautioned. “I expect you to help with transporting Elliot and Noah back and forth from their practices, as well as being willing to run errands for us whenever we need your help.”

“Oh, I will. No problem,” he agreed.

“One other thing,” I added. “You also have to keep your grades up and not use the car to do anything we wouldn’t approve of. If either of those things happens, then I will take the car away until you can prove to me you have matured and deserve to have it back.”

“Don’t worry. You won’t need to do that,” Jesse assured us. “I never thought you’d get me a car for my birthday, so I won’t do anything that will make me lose it.”

“Great. Then we shouldn’t have any problems,” I confirmed, as I gave him another hug. “Happy birthday, son.”

“Wow, two parties and a car!” Noah exclaimed. “I sure am glad I came here to live.”

“Those are privileges that need to be earned,” Danny advised him, so he didn’t get the wrong impression. “Since Jesse first came to live with us, he has repeatedly shown that he is very mature and extremely responsible. If he hadn’t, then this probably wouldn’t be happening for him now. If you hope for something like this to happen for you too some day, then you’ve got to prove to us that you are also mature, responsible and trustworthy.”

“Okay,” Noah said, with a grin. I could see the wheels turning in his head now.

“That goes for you too,” Danny added, while directing his comments toward Elliot.

“I’m not worried. I’ll be able to buy my own car by then,” Elliot boasted, with an arrogant smirk.

“Not if we tell Uncle Mark to misplace your request or not honor it,” Danny shot back, which caused Elliot to give him a shocked look in return.

“You wouldn’t really do that, would you?” Elliot wanted to know, while looking doubtfully at his fathers.

“Just be a good boy and you’ll never have to worry about it, will you?” Danny responded. We knew this would give Elliot something to think about.

Now that we were all finished eating, I paid the bill and took everyone home. Once we got there, Noah pulled Elliot aside, so he could ask him a question.

“What did you mean at the restaurant, when you said you could buy your own car?” Noah asked.

Elliot then began to tell Noah about the large inheritance his father had left him when he died.

“Wow, I wish my parents had left something like that for me,” Noah observed. “My mom said we didn’t have any money left and that’s why she couldn’t go see a doctor sooner.”

“I’m sorry about that,” Elliot told him. “I wish we’d have known about your situation back then, because we might have been able to help.”

“Thanks. It’s nice of you to say that,” Noah responded.

Once they finished their conversation, they came in to join the rest of us in the family room. We all spent the rest of the evening together, until the boys went up to bed.

Not surprisingly, Jesse got up extremely early the next morning, because he was very eager to select his new car. After telling him the car lot wouldn’t be open yet, Jake and I were able to get him to sit down and eat some breakfast. The three of us didn’t leave the house until just before 9:00, which was the time the dealership opened. Jesse had wanted to wake Elliot so he could go with us, but I told Jesse to let him sleep and then he could tell him about the car later.

My friend greeted us the minute we arrived. I had forewarned him that we’d be coming, so he was eager to take Jesse around and point out the selection he had to choose from. Jesse seemed interested in several of these vehicles, each for a different reason. Jake and I eventually told him he’d have to decide which of the features he wanted were the most important to him and then he could narrow his choices down that way.

After a few minutes of thinking things over, Jesse agreed to do what we’d suggested and quickly eliminated a few of the vehicles he first had on his list. In the end, he was down to choosing between a black Volkswagen Golf and a red Audi A4.

“Okay, tell me what it is about these two cars that you like,” I advised him.

“Well, the Golf is kind of cool and sporty looking,” Jesse began, “and it’s good on gas, so I won’t have to spend all my money on fuel to get around. The Audi really looks sharp and it’s a good size, so I can take my friends with me when I go places. It’s also big enough to haul all of my clothes and stuff in it when I go to college.”

“I’m fine with either of those choices, since they’re both made by the same parent company,” I agreed. “The Golf is a pretty safe car, but I really like the fact that this Audi has all-wheel drive. That can really come in handy during the winter months.”

“Yes, I think the Audi would be more appropriate for going back and forth to college,” Jake offered. “The all-wheel drive will make your dad and me worry a lot less about you making that trip, especially when you come home for the winter holidays.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right, Pop,” Jesse agreed. “Then let’s get the Audi. I thought I kinda liked that one better anyway, but after you told me it would be better in the winter, I like it even more.”

Since it was now decided, I advised my friend and made the deal. He said he’d make certain the car was registered and ready to be picked up Monday afternoon, so Jesse said he’d walk over after school to get it. He had the biggest grin on his face as we drove back home.

“Thanks, Dad and Pop. I think the car is super and I like it a lot,” he confessed. “Thank you so much for doing this for me.”

“You’ve earned it,” I replied. “Just don’t abuse it now.”

“I won’t. You don’t worry have to worry about that,” he agreed.

When we got home, Jesse ran off to tell Elliot about the car he’d chosen, while Jake and I started getting things ready for his party. Elliot quickly agreed that he thought Jesse had made the right choice when selecting his car and couldn’t wait to see it.

Just before the others got here, Jake went out to fire up the grills, while I got the rest of the food ready. I did that in between feeding those just crawling out of bed, but I only let them consume a very small breakfast to tide them over.

The extended family began arriving around noon and Hayden and some of Jesse’s friends started showing up a little after that. I had suggested to Jesse that he should invite some of his friends too, since he’d grown fairly close to them. I also figured it would give him something to do while we older folks chatted.

Jesse and I greeted the others as they arrived, but I let Jesse and Elliot introduce everyone to Noah. The boys explained to him about whom each person was and I could tell Noah’s head was spinning, as he tried to absorb all of this information. I didn’t worry though, because I knew it would start to become clearer to him over time.

Jesse was also eagerly telling everyone about the car he was getting for his birthday and his friends were blitzing him with questions about it, in addition to telling him how lucky he was. As I watched this happening, I thought back to when I got my first car and what a huge deal it was to both my friends and me. Having my own set of wheels meant I had a new sense of freedom, since I didn’t have to wait for the family car to be freed up before I could do something. Thinking back to that time made it easier for me to appreciate how Jesse is feeling now.

Over the next few hours, we conversed with our guests and watched Jesse parade around the yard like a strutting peacock. I was certain the moment he picked the car up on Monday he would begin driving around to show his friends his new toy. I just hope he didn’t treat it like one.

Noah was getting just as much attention as Jesse, since everyone wanted to get to know our newest family member better too. However, it didn’t take long before everyone realized that Noah didn’t like talking about himself or his past life. He was pretty shy and tight lipped when it came to giving out any personal information, especially when it concerned his parents. Everyone was kind enough not to press the issue and instead told him about themselves. They also made sure to include a few of their more humorous memories of their time with the family, to make it easier for Noah to listen to what they had to say.

About an hour after we’d eaten, the boys decided to go for a dip in the pool. Jesse had told Hayden and his friends to bring their swimsuits along, so most of them wore their trunks under their clothes. Now, they were frolicking merrily in the water, along with Elliot, Noah and Joshie. Come on, you didn’t think they were going to be able to leave Joshie out of this, did you? He considers himself part of the pack, and even though he might not be the alpha dog, he is certainly trying to work his way up the pack’s ladder of dominance.

While the boys were swimming, the adults stayed at the picnic tables and chatted. At that point, Sally had an announcement to make. A few of us already knew about what she was going to tell us, but many of the others didn’t.

“I’m very pleased to let the rest of you know,” she began, “that Richard is going to start working for me the day after Labor Day.”

Little Ricky blushed when he realized this was about him, but everyone else was eager to congratulate him. He was quick to let them know this position might only be temporary, since he was only covering a maternity leave. However, he also mentioned Aunt Sally had told him the girl he was filling in for might opt to stay home with her child for a longer period of time, rather than return to work. Either way, he would be gaining some valuable experience in his chosen field.

After this had been cleared up, Steve had a question for Danny and Brandon.

“Have you received any news about when you’re going to be able to adopt Elliot?” he wanted to know.

“In fact, we have,” Brandon answered. “We’re supposed to go to court this coming Friday to take care of that.”

“Fantastic,” Steve agreed. “So you’ll be formally adopting Elliot the Friday before Labor Day and Richard will be starting his new job the day after. I guess this will give us plenty to celebrate over the holiday.”

Everyone agreed with his comment and looked forward to partying again next weekend. It will also be our official recognition of the end of summer.

After we had the cake and ice cream, the party only lasted about another hour, before people started to go home. Jesse thanked everyone for coming and they wished him happy birthday again before they left. As soon as most of our guests had gone, Jake and I began to clean up, and the boys pitched in and gave us a hand. It didn’t take long before we had everything inside and put away. Once that happened, the boys went back to the rec room for a while. Hayden and some of Jesse’s friends had decided to stick around a little longer and were out there playing air hockey, table tennis and listening to music with them.

After their parents picked them up, a couple of hours later, and the last of our guests had departed, the rest of us gathered in the family room to watch a DVD. I noticed that Noah had decided to lie on the floor next to Jesse and Elliot this time, rather than sit on the sofa with Danny and Brandon. Actually, it’s nice to see that he’s bonding with the boys too.

Once the movie ended, that trio went up to their rooms. After making sure that Noah was in bed and asleep, Elliot slipped out of his bedroom and went over to Jesse’s room. Both boys were clad only in their underwear as Elliot walked in, and Jesse looked up, mildly surprised to find Elliot there.

“I just came over to explain why I didn’t give you a present earlier,” Elliot began. “I was thinking about what I should get you and thought maybe I’d hire a hooker, but then I thought it would mess things up if she jumped out of your birthday cake. Instead, I decided I’d just take care of you myself. Happy birthday, stud!”

After saying this, Elliot pushed Jesse onto the bed and began kissing him, passionately. Jesse gave in to Elliot’s aggressive move willingly and eagerly reciprocated. Almost immediately, their tongues began to intertwine and their lips pressed gently against each other, as Elliot let Jesse know just how special he was and how much he cared for him.

Slowly, Elliot moved down to Jesse’s neck and then he started working his way down Jesse’s body. Tenderly, he paid attention to each sensitive and erotic region of Jesse’s body, as he came to it. Gradually, he worked his way to Jesse’s midsection and grabbed his underwear with his teeth. As Elliot tugged at the garment, he gave a playful growl. This caused Jesse to chuckle, as Elliot worked the underwear off Jesse’s body. What Jesse didn’t notice was that Elliot had removed his own underwear as well, so now they were both naked on the bed.

For the next couple of minutes, Elliot orally pleased Jesse, as he worshipped his prized piece of meat. Before Jesse was able to reach his climax, however, Elliot quickly slipped a condom over Jesse’s penis, added some lube and then straddled Jesse’s midsection.

“Happy Birthday,” Elliot told him, as he guided Jesse’s sheathed manhood into his anal cavity.

Inch by inch, Jesse’s impressive rod slipped deeper into Elliot. Once he was fully inside him, Elliot began to bounce up and down, like a rodeo rider on a bucking bull, as he pleasured him. Unlike the rodeo rider, this ride wasn’t over in a matter of seconds. Instead, Elliot got his own workout, as he rode Jesse’s ‘saddle-horn’ and ever so slowly brought him to his release.

After several minutes of this hectic and erotic ride, Jesse arched his back off of the bed and thrust his hips skyward. When he did, he buried his penis deeply into Elliot and released his creamy load into the tip of the condom. After a few more thrusts, to drain the remaining droplets, Jesse collapsed onto the mattress, with Elliot slumping forward on top of him. After taking some time to recuperate, Elliot looked down at Jesse and spoke.

“I hope you enjoyed your birthday present,” he whispered.

“Yep. It was better than a hooker any day,” Jesse agreed.

After cleaning up, Elliot stayed in with Jesse through the night and cuddled with him until morning. In fact, I was mildly surprised to find them together when I came to wake Jesse up the next morning, so he could get ready for Sunday services.

It turned out to be a pretty typical Sunday. We went to church, stopped for brunch and then came home and chilled. We made sure that the boys got all their homework done too, so they’d be ready for school the next day. I could tell Jesse was also anxious to pick up his new wheels after classes ended tomorrow, so I wasn’t certain if he’d be able to sleep tonight or concentrate in any of his classes the following day.

Jesse did look a little haggard when he came down to breakfast that morning, so I figured that thinking about his new car had probably kept him up for a while. I’m also positive the school day must have seemed as if it dragged on forever, but I’m sure he made up for that afterward. Jesse didn’t come home until just before dinnertime, because he was showing off his car to his friends and even took some of them for a quick spin in it. At least for the time being, Jesse was the leader of the pack.

The week also brought about another interesting change – that is besides Jesse coming home in his new car. When I went to pick-up Noah and Elliot after their practices, Elliot had something else he wanted to discuss with me.

“When I went to swim practice this afternoon,” he began, “Hayden told me his mother was wondering if we wanted to car pool with them and take turns bringing us all home. She said she’d also be willing to pick Noah up at the middle school and that way you guys can alternate weeks. It would save both of you gas money, besides making it so you and she don’t have to go out every day to pick us up. What do you think about the idea? Is it something you might want to do?”

“Sure. In fact, I may be able to do her one better,” I offered. “Let’s wait until we get home first, before I give you my final answer, because I need to bring Jesse in on this discussion.”

Elliot seemed to wonder what Jesse had to do with it, but he agreed. When we got home, I called Jesse into the room with us and asked him a question.

“Jesse, Hayden’s mother wants to arrange an informal car pool with us, to pick the boys up after their practices,” I began. “She wants to alternate on a weekly basis, but I have another idea. If you’re willing, we’ll make this a three-person car pool, with you, her and me. Each of us will pick the boys up for a week at a time, so we’ll only have to do it every third week during the particular sporting season.”

“Yeah, I can do that,’ Jesse agreed. “When it’s my week, I’ll just hang out at school with my friends and then pick Noah and Elliot up when they’re done.”

“I can live with that,” I agreed. “Elliot, would you please call Hayden’s house and see if his mother is agreeable to our proposal. If she is, she can finish off the rest of this week, then I’ll take next week and Jesse can take his turn the week after that.”

Elliot agreed and went off to make the call. Hayden’s mother was more than willing to accept our offer, although she thought we were assuming more of the burden than we needed to. However, I had Elliot explain to her that we had two boys involved in sports, where she only had one, so we were also willing to take twice the responsibility for hauling them back and forth. As long as that wasn’t a problem for her, then we were happy to do it this way. Happily, she agreed with the arrangement.

Since she was picking the boys up for the rest of the week, it took me off the hook and I began focusing on a couple of other issues. The first was Elliot’s adoption, which will take place this Friday, and then our Labor Day cookout, which will be the final one of the summer. I was also looking ahead to Andrew’s twenty-first and Joshie’s sixth birthdays, since both events are just a week and a half after Labor Day.