The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation - 55. Wyatt

On Wednesday evening, Danny received a call on his cell phone and stepped into the other room to answer it. When he did, he quickly discovered it was from his obstetrician friend.

“Danny, the mother of your brother’s new son is going into labor,” he told him. “Does he, his partner or anyone else want to come to the hospital and be with her at this time?”

“Hang on and let me check with them,” Danny advised his friend.

Danny then called the rest of us together and shared the news. Dion and Trey quickly stated that they wanted to go and I said I’d like to join them. Danny and Brandon offered to look after Joshie for them, so that was one less thing they had to worry about. Dion and Trey then suggested we take their car. Since this wasn’t the hospital that Danny had worked at and was farther away, they felt it would be silly to take two vehicles. After agreeing with their assessment, I got in the backseat and Dion drove.

Both boys were a bundle of nerves and talked incessantly on the way there. First, they were busy trying to figure out what the baby would look like and then they tried to guess his birth weight, length and what time he would be born. They also began to question if there was anything they should be doing or something they’d forgotten to do. At this point, I’d wished I’d brought my video camera with me, because I was sure a recording of what was going on in the car would easily make it on America’s Funniest Videos. It was like watching a collage of the worst-ever expectant father clips.

When we arrived at the hospital, Penny was still in labor, but Danny’s obstetrician friend told us things weren’t proceeding as quickly as he first thought. Penny wasn’t dilated nearly enough to give birth yet, so he advised us this might take a while. The boys and I quickly discussed how we wanted to handle this, and after a rather lengthy conversation, Dion and Trey agreed that they would stay until midnight. If she hadn’t given birth by then, Trey said he was going home to rest, but Dion and I had decided to remain. Dion said he would just call in sick the next day, since he would be in no shape to teach after spending the night here.

Just before midnight, Penny still wasn’t ready to give birth yet, so Trey left. Dion gave his partner a kiss goodbye and then he and I tried to make ourselves comfortable in the waiting room. As we settled in, we began discussing the situation.

“Why is it that women seem to go into labor at night, but then don’t give birth until several hours later,” Dion asked.

“I don’t know if I have the answer to that question,” I replied. “You may only believe this because of your limited experiences, but I can see why you might think it’s the norm. It does seem to be what you and I have both experienced when our children were born. Possibly, you should ask that obstetrician about this latter.”

I wasn’t sure if Dion was going to do this, but I was now curious about his observation as well.

Shortly after 4:00, the obstetrician finally came out and announced the baby had arrived. His birthday is October 7^th and he’s twenty-one inches in length and weighs seven pounds, eight ounces. Surprisingly, Trey had guessed closest to the correct length, but Dion had been more accurate on both the weight and time of birth. I guess he must have taken notes when Joshie was born and then cashed in on that fact now.

Once we’d assimilated this information, we were taken in to see Penny and the baby. Dion and I immediately noticed something and commented about it.

“Damn, Wyatt looks just like Joshie did the first time I saw him,” Dion announced, in amazement.

“I would totally agree with that observation,” I confirmed. “He is absolutely beautiful.”

“He certainly is,” Dion agreed. “Penny, he’s absolutely adorable.”

Penny beamed with pride when she heard this, but I could also tell she was also a little sad because she had to give him up. However, I think that having met us, as well as knowing she was going to be able to keep in touch with Wyatt, made this slightly easier for her to do. I can’t imagine how the women who give their children up for adoption must feel when they have no idea who’ll be getting their baby and that they’ll probably never see their child again.

Dion then went on to give Penny the information she would need for the birth certificate. He then spoke to the obstetrician and told him the baby was to be circumcised. Trey and he felt that since Joshie had been circumcised, they should do the same with this baby too.

We stayed with Penny a little while longer, but after the nurse took the baby to the nursery, Penny told us she was tired and wanted to get some sleep. Before we left, we told Penny we’d return the next day and she thanked us for coming to be here for her, since neither of her parents were willing to do this. She also thanked us for offering to give the baby a loving home and then told us that she looked forward to working with us in the future.

When Dion and I got down to the lobby, it suddenly dawned on us that we didn’t have a vehicle. I quickly glanced at my watch and noticed it was nearly 5:00 and Jake always gets up at this time to get ready for work. Thinking he may be the answer to our dilemma, I stepped outside and called him on my cell phone. When he answered, I asked him if he thought he had time to pick us up before he had to leave for work and he said he did. Fortunately, he’d planned ahead and done most of his usual morning preparations the previous evening, because he figured something like this might happen. He said he’d see us shortly, so I thanked him for having the foresight I seemed to have lacked.

On the ride home, we told Jake all about Wyatt. He said he couldn’t wait to see him and we knew he meant it. Once we arrived home, Dion and I thanked Jake for going out of his way for us and then we went straight to bed. We were both beat and needed some sleep before we returned to the hospital.

I awoke before Dion did, but it was already past noon. Even so, I made a fresh pot of coffee and fixed myself something to eat before Dion came down to join me. After fixing him something as well, we quickly showered and got dressed, so we could head back to see Penny and the baby.

When we got there, we went by the nursery first, so we could get another glimpse of Wyatt. Damn, he was so tiny and adorable, but we knew he would also bring about a whole new set of challenges when we got him home. There would be the midnight or early morning feedings to deal with again, as well as the numerous hours required for preparing his bottles and then giving them to him, as well as changing his diapers, giving him baths and just holding him. Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying though. Babies are wonderful, but they also require a great deal of work and can take a lot out of you.

When we went in to see Penny, she made an unexpected announcement.

“When I filled out the form for the birth certificate,” she began, “I filled the baby’s name in as Wyatt Jacob Currie. I also listed Dion as the father.”

Dion and I were in shock. We had expected her to list Wyatt with her last name and only use the first and middle names Dion had given her. We also weren’t prepared for the idea that she would give Dion’s name as the father, but she explained she did this to prevent any chance of Dion losing his claim to Wyatt. Dion and I felt we’d need to run this by Steve as soon as we could, to make certain it is legal.

We stayed with her for the rest of the afternoon and Dion and I both got a chance to hold Wyatt. Dion also had an opportunity to give him a bottle, so he was getting right into the swing of things again. Once he’d burped Wyatt, he began to recite nursery rhymes to him. Penny was smiling as she watched him do this and it was apparent she was pleased with the way he was interacting with her son.

We stayed until shortly after 5:00 and then we told her we were going home for the rest of the night, so we could spend some time with the rest of the family. That’s when she informed us about something else.

“I’m being released tomorrow morning, so you should come back then so you can take Wyatt home with you. I hope that’s not a problem,” she added, hopefully. “I wouldn’t dare take him home with me, even for a few minutes, or something terrible is liable to happen.”

Penny didn’t explain exactly what she meant by this comment, but we got the idea. Luckily, tomorrow is a Saturday, so Dion and Trey will both be available and this won’t be a problem. Dion quickly assured her he’d be back by 9:00 to pick Wyatt up.

That night, Dion and Trey sat down with Joshie and told him Wyatt had been born and they’d be bringing him home the following day.

“’Bout time,” Joshie stated, just before a smile started to creep across his face.

That night was kind of hectic, as Dion and Trey went out to pick up the formula the obstetrician had suggested, as well as to select a new outfit and receiving blanket to bring Wyatt home in. They took Joshie with them and allowed him to make the final choice on the outfit and blanket. What they did was to hold up three choices they found acceptable for each item and then they let Joshie select the one he liked best. Joshie was thrilled his fathers had permitted him to do this and it made him even more eager to meet his new brother.

When they returned home, the boys went upstairs to put Joshie to bed, but they also put a freshly laundered sheet in the crib and double-checked to make certain that everything else was ready for Wyatt’s arrival. I got a kick out of watching them do all of this, as well as listening to them trying to decide how they were going to split up the middle of the night feedings, since they both work. They finally ended up agreeing to alternate nights, with Dion taking the first – tomorrow night.

A little while later, the boys asked if I’d go with them when they went to the hospital to pick Wyatt up in the morning. I wasn’t exactly sure why they wanted me to do this, but I agreed. Then, they took the infant car seat out and made certain it was secured in the backseat of the car. They weren’t taking any chances that they’d forget something at the last moment.

I’m not sure how much sleep either of them got that night, but they were both up early the next morning. After we’d each downed a quick breakfast, we hurriedly showered and dressed, because Dion and Trey were in a hurry to get going. I rode in the back, next to the car seat, but it was a tight squeeze. That’s because the manufacturers of rear facing car seats recommend they should be attached in the middle of the backseat, so it made it a little uncomfortable for me. I didn’t complain though and adjusted to the situation, but I wasn’t sure if I’d have to do this again on the way back. I suspect one of the fathers might want to ride next to Wyatt during the trip home.

We went to see Penny first, but the doctor was in with her when we got to the room. After he completed his examination, he invited us in to join them. We talked with the obstetrician for a while and he assured us that both Penny and the baby were doing well and would be released shortly. She would be given the baby, once she was in a wheelchair, and then she’d be taken down to the main entrance by one of the orderlies. He told us she would be able to give Wyatt to either Dion or Trey once we arrived there, and then we’d all be able to go home.

After speaking with the doctor, Dion went out and gave the outfit and receiving blanket to one of the nurses and asked her to make certain they were used to prepare Wyatt to leave. She agreed and disappeared, and then he went back into Penny’s room.

“Do you have a ride?” I asked Penny. I was concerned and certainly didn’t want her to be stranded at the hospital.

“Yes, I called a friend last night and she agreed to come get me. I just have to call and let her know when,” she answered.

“Okay, I just wanted to make certain you had a way to get home,” I explained. “If worse came to worse, then I was going to let the boys and Wyatt drive you home first and I would wait in the lobby until they returned.”

“Even though I appreciate your generous offer,” she commented, “it’s better that you don’t go near my place. My father would absolutely freak out if he saw Dion in the car. He hated my boyfriend as it was and seeing Dion would just make him think I had another Afro-American lover.”

I understood what she was saying, although in this day and age I’d hope humanity would have outgrown its petty bigotries. Of course, I know this isn’t true, because the gay community has suffered many tragedies because of the archaic and narrow-minded views many members of society still cling to. Unfortunately, there are those, including so-called religious people, who even go so far as to incite this hatred.

When the orderly arrived with a wheelchair a few minutes later, Penny got in it. A couple of minutes later, a nurse showed up carrying Wyatt and handed Penny the baby.

“Oh, what a cute outfit and blanket,” she cooed, after looking Wyatt over. “Did you pick them out?”

“Trey and I picked out three different choices for each and then let our other son pick the ones he liked best,” Dion admitted.

“Well you all have wonderful tastes,” she confirmed.

As soon as she was comfortable, the orderly pushed her down the hallway, toward the elevators, and the rest of us followed behind. We all rode down together and then the orderly wheeled her to the main entrance. Trey ran ahead to get the car, so he could pull it up to the loading area. He didn’t want us to have to go very far carrying Wyatt.

“Goodbye, little one,” Penny whispered to Wyatt, before she relinquished him to Dion. “I’m doing this so you’ll have a better life and I want you to know that I love you. I promise to see you in the future, so I can tell you about your biological father and let you know why I had to let these wonderful people adopt you.”

With tears streaming down her cheeks, Penny kissed Wyatt on the forehead and then lifted him up, so Dion could take him. Once Dion had Wyatt in his arms, I looked down at her and spoke.

“Penny, may I help you find a phone to make your call or would you like to step outside and use my cell phone?”

“Thank you, but the phones are just over there,” she replied, while pointing toward the far side of the lobby. “I really appreciate all you’ve done for me and how great you’ve been about making this so easy for me to do. Thank you so much and please take good care of my boy. I’ll contact you when I’m ready to visit.”

I kissed her on the forehead before we left and reminded her to make sure the bills not covered by the insurance are forwarded to me. She said she would and then got out of the wheelchair and started walking toward the phones. As she and the orderly walked away, Trey pulled up and Dion and I went out to the car.

As I suspected, Dion rode in the back next to Wyatt, so I got into the front passenger seat, next to Trey. As we were heading home, Dion began talking to Wyatt and explained whom Trey, he and I all were. Dion also welcomed him into the family and began to tell him about his brother, Joshie, and the rest of the inmates in our asylum.

It was kind of comical listening to Dion tell Wyatt about all of these things, because he was doing it as if he expected the baby to understand and remember the details. I’ll give him credit though. I was impressed that he didn’t use baby talk when speaking to Wyatt, but he did tell him he was his daddy, Trey was his Poppy and I was Papa. The kid would have to be a genius to keep all of this information straight on his first day home.

When we arrived at the house, Joshie and the other boys raced out to greet us. Actually, I was surprised the older boys were up already, but I heard later that Joshie was responsible for this. Danny and Brandon said that Joshie raced from room to room waking the boys and telling them they had to come downstairs, because his new brother would be here soon. They also told us it was cute watching this happen, especially when the other boys tried to shoo him out of their rooms, but Joshie wasn’t about to give up. Danny and Brandon said they could tell Joshie was truly excited and looking forward to meeting Wyatt.

In fact, Joshie didn’t even wait for Dion to get Wyatt out of the car seat first, before he opened the opposite side passenger door and began talking to the baby.

“Hi. I’m your brother, Joshie,” he told Wyatt. “I been waiting a long time for you to get here. You were really slow.”

The rest of us were all busting a gut as we listened to him carry on. He had such a serious look on his face, as he chastised his little brother for taking such a long time to get here.

Once Dion had Wyatt unhooked from the car seat, he carried him into the house. Joshie walked beside his father, while still talking to his new brother. Trey and I followed behind that pair, and once we got inside, Joshie had a favor to ask.

“Can I hold him,” he wanted to know.

“Okay, but you have to be very, very careful with Wyatt,” Dion answered. “Come sit on the couch with me and I’ll give him to you. Just keep your arm under his neck, because he isn’t strong enough to hold his head up by himself.”

“How come?” Jesse wondered.

“It’s because babies need time to get strong enough to do things like that,” Dion explained. “You were the same way right after you were born too.”

Since Joshie understood we had to do the same thing for him, he didn’t question the reason further. When Dion placed Wyatt on his lap, he made certain to put Joshie’s right arm under the back of Wyatt’s neck, for support.

“He looks like the pictures of me when I was a baby, Daddy,” Joshie commented, as he scrutinized Wyatt.

“He certainly does,” Dion agreed. “I thought the same thing. I even told Poppy that he looked just like you did when you were first born.”

That comment caused Joshie to grin. He was proud that his brother looked just like he did.

As it worked out, Joshie only held Wyatt for a couple of minutes. While he was holding him though, his daddy watched him closely. Dion was sitting next to him on the sofa, but only interfered if it looked as if Joshie needed to do something slightly different.

“Daddy, Wyatt stinks!” Joshie announced, as he wrinkled his nose.

“I guess Wyatt must have just pooped in his diaper,” Dion replied. “Let me take him and I’ll go change him for you.”

Without complaint, Joshie let Dion take the baby and head upstairs. That’s where Wyatt’s room is and where everything is kept. A few minutes later, Dion came back down to join us again, but this time Joshie wasn’t so eager to hold his brother. I guess Joshie considered Wyatt filling his diaper while he held him as being rude.

Over the next hour or so, we began calling everyone to tell them that baby Wyatt is now home and part of the family. Many of them asked if they could stop by to see him and we told them they were welcome to come over any time. That’s also when I realized we’re about to have a whole lot of company.

A couple of hours later, Steve and Mary showed up. I’m so glad we have them in our lives, because they’ve done so much for our family. I’m also personally grateful that I’ve had a chance to get close to them, because they have turned out to be wonderful and devoted friends.

The minute they entered the house, they wanted to know where the baby was, so I led them into the family room where Trey was sitting with Wyatt.

“May I hold him?” Mary asked, as soon as she saw the baby.

“Of course,” Trey told her, as he handed Wyatt to her.

“Oh, he’s so beautiful,” she cooed, as she held him out for Steve to see.

“Are you sure he’s not Joshie’s twin?” Steve asked, after getting his first glimpse of Wyatt. “I swear he looks just like Joshie did when we first saw him too.”

“I think we’ve all made a similar observation,” I agreed.

“Dion, have you been messing around with the ladies again?” Steve teased, which embarrassed Dion slightly.

“I was going to say I hoped not,” Trey interjected, “but if those liaisons keep producing beautiful babies like this, then I can overlook his indiscretions.”

If Steve’s comment had embarrassed Dion, then he was totally flabbergasted by Trey’s statement. I don’t believe he expected his partner would say anything like this and the look on his face was priceless, as the meaning of Trey’s words sank in. Once he’d regained his composure, Dion had a question for Steve.

“Uncle Steve, Penny put my name on the birth certificate as Wyatt’s father and she even put his full name down as Wyatt Jacob Currie. Is that legal?” he wondered.

“The state doesn’t require paternity tests before the information is recorded on the birth certificates,” Steve answered, “and usually those responsible just take the parents word for it. If it is a single parent, then they usually take the mother’s word that the information is accurate. If she decided to list you as the father, there’s nothing illegal about it, but it will definitely make things easier for you, as far as the custody issue.”

“How do you mean?” Dion pressed.

“Well, since you are already listed as the father, all you have to do is have her agree to give you sole custody of your son. Then, Trey can adopt him later and agree to share custody with you, so you’ll both have paternal rights,” Steve explained.

We were glad he’d been able to clear this up for us.

Over the course of the weekend, we had many, many visitors. Sally, Susan, Alice, Dustin and Katie, along with Cole and Beth all dropped by, and they were followed by many of Dion and Trey’s co-workers and colleagues from school. Of course, everyone wanted to hold the baby and many of them also brought gifts, as their way of welcoming Wyatt into the family.

Later, after the others had left, Jesse, Elliot and Noah all took turns holding the baby too. I knew Jesse had done this with Joshie when he was first born, but I don’t think the other two have ever had the experience of holding an infant before. After watching them with Wyatt, I have a strong suspicion that Elliot and Noah will be spoiling their cousin and Jesse will be doing the same with his new nephew.

Throughout the course of the day, so many different people held Wyatt that I thought he might have trouble differentiating whom his parents are. However, when Dion sat in the rocking chair and held him later, Wyatt looked up at his father and gave him a huge smile. I think he’s figured things out for himself, even with all of the confusion.