Walls - 13. July 2015 • Part II

“You know something? For this being such a fancy car, it doesn’t have that much room inside.” CJ folded Wingnut’s wire cage and handed it to Owen to secure on the roof luggage rack.

Owen stood on the rear bumper, stretching bungee cords from one end to the other. “Yeah, your dad’s ute’s definitely bigger. Is there enough room in the back for our bags and the dog?”

“I’m stacking the luggage on one side and covering it with the cargo net. The pooch can have the other one. Or he can sit with your sister and my brother if he gets too rambunctious back here. Come on. Let’s go in, say goodbye, and get on the road.”

Inside, they found Liz petting the dog and Ritchie hugging his grandmother while holding his grandfather’s hand. “I promise I’ll call all the time, Aba. And I’ll come visit.”

“I know, I know. It’s still hard. First CJ and now you. It’s going to be lonely around here.” She turned to CJ and Owen when they walked in and wiped the tears from her face. “You two better take care of him and Liz during your trip. No drinking. Don’t drive fast. And if it starts raining, pull to the side. And call me when you get to a new place so I know you’re safe.”

“Gee, Aba, you’re worse than Dad and Papa. They don’t even ask me to do the constant phone calls anymore. We’ll be fine. And we’ll call you. I promise to look after Ritchie during the trip and in Washington too.” CJ hugged his grandmother and kissed the top of her head before repeating the process with his grandfather. “Be good, Abo. I’ll bring Ritchie back for a couple of days the first long weekend we have after school starts. And you guys know you can always come visit us. We have plenty of room and we'd take good care of both of you. Think about it, okay?”

Olga sniffled while nodding her head and walked outside with the youngsters. “What are you going to do with the dog when you’re at the parks in Orlando?”

“Disney World has boarding services for pets.” CJ shook the folded cage to make sure it was secure atop the vehicle and watched the dog jump in the back seat, settling in the middle. “Guess the space in the luggage compartment will be empty and the two of you have to share.” He shook his head and chuckled as Ritchie and Liz climbed in on either side of the Golden Retriever. “We’ll drop Wingnut off before we get to the hotel and we’ll go visit him every day. Afterwards, we’re staying places where dogs are welcome. So he’ll be with us all the time.” CJ hugged his grandmother again and whispered so nobody else could hear. “I promised the dads I’d look after Ritchie and I will. Stop worrying about him. We’re doing the right thing for him and at least he’s been part of the decision to move. It’s not like you’re throwing him out. I love you, Aba. Take care of yourself and of Abo. We’ll call you once we get to Orlando.”

As CJ backed the car out of the driveway, he caught a glimpse of his grandmother standing alone on the porch, wiping tears from her eyes. He knew she felt guilty about sending the young kid away; even after all the conversations she’d had with the dads, with him, and with his brother. He vowed he’d be coming back to South Florida as often as possible. He didn’t think his frail grandfather would be around much longer and with his Alzheimer’s advancing so fast, he wasn’t sure if the old man would even recognize him when he next visited. CJ wiped away a little moisture from his own eyes as he shifted gears and drove away.

• • •

“How you guys doing back there?” CJ turned and caught a glimpse of Wingnut laying down between Liz and Ritchie. The dog’s head rested on her lap and the girl stroked behind his ears while staring at the passing landscape.

“We’re doing good, CJ. But I think my dog has a new best friend. He’s never been this relaxed when we’ve gone for a ride in a car before.”

“That’s because my sister must have hidden pieces of bacon in her pockets. Wingnut’s just trying to earn a treat.”

“You’re paying for that one when we stop, big brother.” Liz's threat was accompanied with giggles by both the back seat passengers. “You’re just jealous he likes me better.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, just wait until he’s settled in Washington. He’ll have no choice but to be nice to me too. He’ll be seeing me every day.” Owen was behind the wheel and after glancing at the gauges on the instrument panel, merged into the left lane. “The sign said the Service Plaza’s a mile up ahead. I’m gonna stop there. We need petrol and I can use a coffee.”

CJ remained behind and took Wingnut for a short walk while his traveling companions strolled inside the building. When they returned, he took over driving duties until they reached Walt Disney World.

“Are we going to any of the parks this afternoon?” Ritchie asked as they followed the signs for the Best Friends Pet Care Facility.

“Not today, bro. Once we drop the pooch off, we’ll go check in at the hotel. We’ll have lunch at one of the restaurants there. Then I’m thinking we can head over to Downtown Disney in the afternoon.” CJ looked at Owen for confirmation of what they’d planned and received an assenting nod. “We’ll walk around the place, do some shopping, and we’ll have dinner at one of their restaurants. And if we want to do any shopping, it’s easier to do it today. No need to carry bags around tomorrow.”

“Did you guys know there’s a Harley-Davidson shop in there?” Owen looked at his sister and Ritchie. “We need to take pictures in front of it to make Harley jealous.”

“Who’s Harley?” Liz asked.

“He’s my brother’s best friend and he’s fun. Wait ’til you meet him. Last time I went to visit CJ, Harley took me skateboarding. But what he likes most are motorcycles, he’s named after them. He’s like the second in command of The Squadron.”

“The what?” CJ glanced in the rearview mirror, saw Ritchie covering his mouth with a hand trying not to laugh, and Owen doing the same in the front passenger seat. “What the heck are you talking about, bro?”

The reply came in a roundabout way. “See, Liz, my big brother has all these friends who surround him and act like they’re the Suicide Squad. You know, the group from the comic books and from the movie coming out next year!” The boy left no doubt how excited he was about the upcoming release. “Even your brother’s part of it. Doesn’t matter if they’re older or younger than him; CJ’s their leader and they follow along with whatever he says or does.”

“Now, wait a minute.” CJ sputtered the words while vehemently shaking his head. “That ain’t true!”

“I don’t know, mate, sounds pretty close to the truth to me.” Owen twisted in the seat, leaned back against the door, and stared at his boyfriend. “Even Brad listened to you when you got all Alpha with him.”

“Shut it, Ozzie! He doesn’t need your help. Damn, you’re turning into a lawyer with all your logical arguments. Leave me alone. And for the record, my cow died, I don’t need your bull.”

CJ noticed his brother lean towards Owen’s sister. The kid’s stage whisper was loud enough for everyone to her. “You know what, Liz? If they start letting girls into their group, you could be Harley Quinn! She’s the Joker’s girlfriend.”

“Oh, yeah? Who’s the joker in the group?”

• • •

Later in the afternoon, Liz dragged the guys into the Days of Christmas store. “I want to buy one or two ornaments, so I can remember this trip when we put up the Christmas tree.”

Ritchie tugged on his brother’s sleeve as they all stood just inside the door. “Do you guys put up a tree during Christmas?”

“Yeah.” CJ didn’t know where to look first. The store was overwhelming; the walls were crammed with rows of tree ornaments celebrating Disney characters, and tables stacked with display pieces. “We didn’t the year we went to Australia, but last year we put one up right after Thanksgiving. I think I want two this year, a big one upstairs and a small one in the basement.”

“Cool, I’m going to walk around and see if there’s something I like.”

“I want to look at the princess ones.” Liz grabbed CJ and pulled him towards the back wall where ornaments representing the heroines in Disney animated films hung in neat rows. “Come with me, CJ.”

“I’ll stick with your brother, mate,” Owen said, tailing Ritchie as he meandered in the opposite direction.

CJ nodded and followed Liz who was fixated on the display of princesses. He stood with her as she selected half a dozen ornaments which he ended up holding for her. When she moved on to a display of red glass balls with Mickey Mouse ears, he grabbed a shopping basket; his hands were already full—so much for one or two—and he thought he might buy something himself.

“Look, CJ, these are great.” Liz was holding one of the ornaments turning it over in her hands and running her fingers over the black belt painted around the ball. “I’m getting three of them and having them personalized. I’ll have them write my name on one and my two brothers on the other ones. It’ll be a great present for my parents.”

CJ liked the notion and decided he was doing the same. “That’s a great idea, I’m going to get five of them.”

“Five?”

“Yeah, my dads, Ritchie, me…” CJ smirked and looked at the floor avoiding the girl’s eyes. “And one for Owen.”

“So, it’s that serious between the two of you, eh?” Her eyes glinted and her smirk spoke volumes.

“Well…”

After paying for their selections, he and Liz stood by the table where a man used markers to inscribe each name given to him. Owen and Ritchie stood within earshot, looking at a display of blown glass ornaments with the famous mouse ears and swirling bands of muted red and green outlined in gold. He watched as his brother frowned and Owen put a hand on the kid’s shoulder.

“What’s wrong, mate? You don’t look happy.”

“I want one of these and one of the little Mickey nutcracker displays, but I don’t have enough money for both.” Ritchie looked frustrated.

CJ watched Owen reach into his back pocket, take out a one hundred dollar bill from his wallet, and hand it over to Ritchie. He heard the Aussie say, “Here, will that be enough?” and it brought a smile to his lips.

“Yeah! I’ll get money from CJ later and pay you back.”

“Not necessary, mate. Your brother and his dads always carry cash and I’ve started doing the same. But I never spend it! There’s a couple more big bills in my wallet so I won’t miss this one. It’s what big brothers do anyway. Ask me if you need more.”

• • •

The next day Liz and the guys were at the entrance to The Magic Kingdom before the gates opened. CJ watched with an amused expression as his boyfriend tried to control his excitement and not jump around like Liz and Ritchie were doing. He was looking forward to the next days as much as the others were, but CJ got a special kick out of watching Owen act like a kid.

Once inside the park, Owen excused himself for a few minutes saying he wanted to pick something up at a shop on Main Street. When he rejoined the group, he handed out Mickey Mouse ear hats with each of their names embroidered on the back. The ears were worn during the rest of the trip―most prominently in a picture they had someone take of the four huddled together with Cinderella’s Castle in the background. The picture would end up printed, framed, and hung on the family wall in the basement of the Georgetown townhouse.

“Come on, Liz, we’ll start in Adventureland and work our way around.” Ritchie took the girl’s hand and guided her to the left of the castle. He’d already told her he’d been to the Kingdom several times and knew the best way not to miss any of the good stuff. “The Swiss Family Robinson Tree House’s kinda lame, but I loved it when I was a little kid. We’ll start there and then do the Jungle Cruise and the Pirates of the Caribbean. Wait until you see that one. Parts of the town look the same as in the movies!”

“Hey, Speedy!” CJ called out. “I know you’re excited and you want Liz to see everything but how about slowing down a bit? You’re talking a mile a minute and you almost ran into some people back there.”

“Sorry…” Ritchie slowed down his pace and let go of Liz’s hand. “It’s just that Mom and Dad always got tired in the afternoon and we never got to see it all. They wouldn’t even stay for the night time parade!”

“No need to apologize, mate.” Owen draped an arm around the boy’s shoulders when he and CJ caught up to him “You gotta remember CJ and I aren’t like your parents were. We’ll stay here until closing time if that’s what you and my sister want. Don’t forget she’s still recovering and may need a nap or an early night. Slow down and let’s enjoy the sights without rushing. After all, this is my first time here too. I want to see it all.”

• • •

“Can we go to England for lunch?” Ritchie walked next to Liz, in front of their brothers, as they crossed from Future World into World Showcase. They’d gone to visit Wingnut first thing in the morning, so they hadn't been at the gates of EPCOT as they opened, like the previous day at the Magic Kingdom. “I want the fish and chips. I’ve had it before and it’s good.”

“That sounds brilliant, mate.” Owen caught up with the boy and put an arm around him. CJ smiled as he had the day before seeing his boyfriend and his brother get along so well. “And your brother tells me they sell beer at these restaurants unlike at the other park we were at yesterday.”

“England sound good to me,” CJ said. “I might even have a beer myself.”

Ritchie turned around and stared at his brother. “You’re not allowed to! I heard the dads say you’re not supposed to drink in public.”

“Yeah well, what happens in EPCOT, stays in EPCOT. What the dads don’t know won’t hurt them.”

“And here my brother’s always saying how you follow rules and obey your fathers all the time.” A giggling Liz elbowed CJ while teasing him. “Mr. Perfect isn’t so perfect after all.”

“Watch it, Liz! I have the keys to the car. Wouldn’t want to see you left behind in Orlando when we leave.” The friendly banter between CJ and the girl was non-stop until they were seated at one of the restaurant’s tables overlooking the lagoon around which the different national pavilions stood.

“They should have one for Australia.” Liz was reading the brochure she’d picked up at the entrance to the park while she and Owen finished their cups of tea, and CJ had a cup of coffee. The two guys had enjoyed their beer with lunch, the server too busy flirting with the two of them to even bother asking for ID.

“That could be a cool exhibit. Surfing, diving the Great Barrier Reef, maybe a replica of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House…” CJ smiled, remembering the great times he’d enjoyed during his two trips to Oz. “Next time I go visit we have to scuba dive. I mean, all I’ve ever seen is New South Wales!”

“Hey, we went to Canberra last time. That’s not in NSW.” Owen smiled at his boyfriend sitting across the table from him.

“Yeah, whatever. I’m telling you, next time we go north to Darwin or west to Perth. It’s like people coming to the US, visiting one state or city and saying they know the country. I want to do some more exploring down under.”

• • •

Wingnut ran around them, tried to jump against their chests, and licked any hand or face he could reach when they picked him up on Saturday morning. Much to everyone’s surprise, he settled down as soon as he climbed in the back seat and resumed his previous position between Liz and Ritchie, this time his head rested on the boy’s lap.

Somewhere around Jacksonville, Liz complained about the country music CJ had on the sound system and of the occasional outbursts of “It’s a Small World After All” the guys were determined to sing at maximum volume. “Okay, that’s enough. Here, Owen, put this playlist on.”

Owen looked at his sister’s phone before connecting it to the car. “Who’re Benji and Fede?”

“They’re these two dreamy Italian guys. You guys would like them, they’re sooo cute. I’m not sure if they’re gay or not but there’s a picture on the internet of them kissing.”

“Don’t include me with our brothers.” Ritchie’s comment made the others stare at him. “I think I’m gonna have to get used to being the only one in the group who likes girls. Even when we get to Washington!”

“Nah, mate, Don’t worry about it. Half of CJ’s Squad’s straight. And with you becoming a member I think there’s more of you than us.”

“Hey! Quit with this CJ’s Squad crap. I’m not in charge of anybody.”

“Sure thing, mate. But I think your brother nailed it. Your dad’s got the Elite Eight―or whatever number they’re at these days―and you’ve got your Squadron. You know that name’s going to stick.”

“I swear, if it wasn’t ’cause your sister’s in the car I’d be calling you what the dads call me all the time.”

“Oh, don’t mind me, CJ. Remember, I’ve grown up with two brothers and surrounded by grape pickers and winery workers. I’ve heard it all before. And anyway, I think it’s cute when you and my brother argue.”

When plotting their route for the trip, CJ and Owen made reservations at the River Street Inn. The old hotel on the banks of the Savannah River had been remodeled at some point and boasted elegant rooms with four-post beds and views of the river or the Savannah Historic District.

They spent the day strolling through the city’s old section, darting in and out of shops―once again mentioning Harley while taking a picture in front of the Harley-Davidson store on River Street―enjoying street performers, and an impromptu jam session in one of the many green areas delineated by cobblestone streets laid out in a perfect grid pattern.

“What’s so special about this restaurant you want to go to tonight?” Liz hooked her arm through CJ’s and walked with him while their brothers followed close behind.

“It’s called The Lady and Sons. It’s owned by Paula Deen and her sons. And it specializes in southern cooking.”

“Who are they and how come you know about this place?”

Before CJ could reply, Ritchie chimed in. “She’s a fat woman who had a TV cooking show. CJ used to watch it all the time when we lived together.”

“A fat woman, mate?” Owen asked.

“I wouldn’t call her fat, Ritchie.” CJ gave his brother a quick glance over his shoulder and noticed Owen struggling not to laugh.

“Oh, yeah? And what would you call her?” Ritchie tried to maintain a straight face but a giggle or two escaped while he replied.

“Ummm… plump? Well rounded? Larger than life?”

The tongue-in-cheek reply was enough for Owen to lose it and start laughing out loud while Ritchie giggled and Liz shook her head. “You men are all the same: exasperating. Gay or straight, you’re always picking on women for their shape. Next thing you’re gonna be talking about her tits.”

“Oh wow, she said tits.” Ritchie was now laughing so hard he held on to CJ for support.

“Okay, okay. Sorry, Liz.” CJ wiped at his eyes and tried to regain his composure. “Paula Deen’s a celebrity chef. She’s on TV all the time and has published a couple of cookbooks. From what I’ve seen, she's a nice woman who never met a stick of butter she didn’t like.”

“CJ…” There was a definite warning in Liz’s tone this time.

“No, no, wait. I mean it. She uses butter so much it’s a running joke. Anyway, I’d heard Savannah was a nice city. Ozzie and I figured this would be a good place to stop for the day, and since the restaurant was here I made reservations for dinner.”

The following morning, CJ insisted on an early start. They had a long drive ahead of them and he wanted to arrive at their next destination before sunset. They stopped in Florence, South Carolina to gas up, use the restroom, and allow Wingnut to run outside and pee on every tree he came upon. Lunch was at a bar-b-que joint with outside seating on the outskirts of Fayetteville, North Carolina where they gorged on fall-off-the-bone ribs smothered in thick, sweet sauce chased with iced sweet tea. Liz ingratiated herself further with the dog by feeding him pieces of meat from her plate.

Late in the afternoon, Ritchie became excited as they approached the Outer Banks and signs for Kill Devil Hills first appeared. “Oh wow! Is that where we’re going? Are we going to the National Memorial?” CJ and Owen had refused to tell their siblings what their stops during the trip would be, insisting the surprise would be more fun.

“What’s the deal with this place?” Liz asked. “And how did it get such a weird name?”

Before either CJ or Owen could provide an explanation, Ritchie did. “There’s a bunch of stories about how it got the name, but nobody’s a hundred percent sure. And this was where the Wright Brothers had their first flight.”

“I thought it was in a place called Kitty Hawk or something like that.”

“It was and it wasn’t, Liz. When the brothers did their test flight, Kill Devil Hills didn’t exist. Kitty Hawk’s a couple of miles away. It was the closest town back then, and it’s what people called the area. But this is where it took place and where the Wright Brothers National Memorial is. We’re going to see it, right, CJ?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. But we’ll do it tomorrow. We’ll spend the day around here and maybe check the beach out after we tour the exhibit.”

“Sick!”

The hotel they stayed at faced the ocean; the beach was steps away from their room’s sliding glass doors. The next morning, CJ and Owen went for a jog before breakfast―Wingnut by their side―and upon their return found Liz and Ritchie waiting, ready for the day. They took a quick shower together while Ritchie fed the pooch and Liz arranged a bed for him in a corner of her room. They planned on returning around lunch time and hung a do-not-disturb sign on the door to prevent a housekeeper from being licked to death by the dog.

Entering the grounds of the National Memorial, CJ drove around a large dune atop which sat a monument surrounded by grassy fields. He pulled into a parking spot next to the visitor’s center and before he’d turned the engine off, Ritchie was out of the car headed towards the building. Inside, CJ took one of the National Park Service brochures, smiling at the thought of adding another one to his growing collection.

Ritchie guided their exploration of the exhibits, walked them to the auditorium to watch a film on the Wright Brothers, and then strolled outside towards the actual monument. To the side of it, next to an airstrip serving small planes, they marveled at a life-sized sculpture of the original flyer built by the Wrights. CJ told them it was titled December 17, 1903 after consulting his pamphlet. They climbed the hill, posed for pictures in front of the sixty-foot structure, and when satisfied with their exploration, returned to the main pavilion for a visit to the gift store.

“I’m so gonna learn how to fly.” Ritchie stowed the shopping bag containing a plastic model of the Wright brothers’ flyer and a blown glass Christmas ornament of Santa Claus flying a plane.

“You know something? Papa offered to let me take classes at one point. I bet if you ask him, he’ll let you take lessons.” CJ climbed into the passenger seat as Owen settled behind the wheel of the SUV.

“You think so?” Ritchie’s eyes couldn’t possibly have gotten any bigger.

“I’ll put in a word for you, bro!”

“Pick up the dog and then lunch? I’m hungry.” Owen started the car, pulled out of the parking spot, and once again circled the central monument as they headed out of the National Memorial grounds. “Where do you want to eat?”

“Dirty Dick’s!” Ritchie’s suggestion was accompanied with giggles.

They’d driven by Dirty Dick’s Crab House on the way to the Memorial and Ritchie made a joke out of the name at the time. The restaurant proved to be a good choice. The fish sandwiches and crab cakes were met with approval but Owen declared the lobster roll not as good as the ones they’d had in Boston. When they left the premises, Ritchie was wearing a Dirty Dick’s ball cap and so was Liz. “Hey, I don’t know when my hair will grow back so I have to wear hats or scarfs until it does.”

“Sure,” Owen said, walking behind the girl. “And I’ll get crap from Mum when she sees it. Why couldn’t you have bought one someplace else?”

“Get over it, Ozzie. Not that I’m milking it, but being sick lets me get away with almost anything.” Her comment had CJ and Ritchie laughing while Owen shook his head and sighed.

Instead of heading west towards the interstate highway the following morning, CJ steered the Mercedes north on Route 168 until they reached the outskirts of Norfolk where he switched over to Route 13. As they traveled east, he explained where he was going. “So, we did Disney World for Liz and Ozzie, we did the Wright Brothers Memorial for Ritchie, and this one’s for me.”

“Aren’t we going the wrong way?” Ritchie asked from the back seat. “Shouldn’t we be driving north if we’re going to Washington? Or are we spending the night somewhere else?”

“Nah, we’ll be in DC tonight. This is the long way to get there but I want to tick off another item on my bucket list.”

“What is it we’re doing, CJ? How long is this list of yours? And how many are we crossing off this trip?” Liz had proven to be much more adventurous than CJ expected. Instead of the somewhat quiet girl he’d met in Australia, the current version of the teen was full of life and willing to try anything and everything the guys suggested.

“The list keeps growing all the time, I have no idea how long it is any more. I want to drive on and through the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.”

“What so special about it?”

“It’s the connector between the Virginia Beach area and the Delmarva Peninsula. It’s over twenty miles long and I’ve wanted to cross it since I heard about it.”

“You said it was a bridge and a tunnel?”

“Actually, four bridges and two tunnels. Plus a long causeway. They had to do the tunnels because of all the big ships entering the bay and created four artificial islands to serve as anchors for the bridges and the openings for the tunnels. We’ll stop at the entrance and take pictures, okay?”

• • •

“I miss having Wingnut with us.” Liz patted the spot between her and Ritchie where the dog had spent most of the drive from Florida on. “I wonder if he’s missing us too.”

The dog had adapted to the change in surroundings with no problems and seemed to delight in running up and down the stairs of the Georgetown townhouse. Ritchie was concerned about Wingnut when they’d told him about this trip. The boy’s apprehension disappeared when Brett promised to look after the pooch and take him for his walks. “I think he’ll be okay. He likes the captain and Mr. A. And they promised to take good care of him.”

“’Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.’” CJ paused momentarily and took a glance at Owen in the front passenger seat of Defiant. “Come on, Ozzie, I’m sure you know the next part of it. Let’s hear it.”

“What is that? Some sort of poem?” Liz had been delighted when her brother and CJ suggested they take a drive up to Pennsylvania on Friday and spend the weekend exploring the area. She’d laughed when CJ admitted Gettysburg National Military Park was indeed on his bucket list.

Ritchie tore his gaze away from the passing landscape and turned towards Liz. “It’s the opening of the speech Lincoln gave at the dedication of Soldier’s National Cemetery. The Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in our Civil War, Liz. More men died there than at any other battle in the country before or since. I studied it in my history class last year.”

“So, you know the rest of it, mate?” Owen turned in his seat to look at his sister and Ritchie.

“Nah, we didn’t have to memorize it or anything. Hey, CJ, can I drive some? The road’s not too busy. There’s almost no other cars.”

CJ was skeptical his brother had any concept of what to do. “Do you even know how to?”

“Dad used to let me start his car…”

“Tell you what, bro, when we get back to DC, I’ll teach you how to drive. I’ll take you to the big parking lot at the Pentagon during the weekends and you can practice there. It’s what Papa did with me before I got my license. By the time you’re ready to take your test, you’ll be an old hand at driving.”

Inside the Visitors’ Center, Owen grabbed copies of the free brochure for each of them, and then he and CJ followed their siblings around while they explored the exhibits in the museum and browsed through the bookstore and gift shop. They watched a couple of films about the clash between the North and the South on the Pennsylvania farmland and then returned to the store when CJ said he wanted to make a reservation.

“What for, CJ?” Ritchie asked. “I thought we could just walk anywhere we wanted to.”

“We can. And there’s a self-guided auto tour map printed on one side of the foldout brochure, but there’s also a service where you can hire a licensed battlefield guide. They ride with you for two hours explaining what you’re seeing. I’d like to do that tomorrow morning and then we can park somewhere and walk around on our own. It’s kinda spooky to be on the same land where all those soldiers fought and so many died. I’ve never been here before but when the dads took me to Antietam National Battlefield in Maryland, I enjoyed looking at all the monuments veterans placed all over the place with the names of their regiments and their home states.”

• • •

He watched Owen, Liz and Ritchie cavort in the water, taking turns on the Jet Ski, while sipping the frozen margarita JP handed him when CJ had climbed back on board after a few runs on the machine. He sat on the net stretched between the front of the PP’s twin pontoons, his feet dangling over the edge. It was Tom’s birthday and they were on an overnight trip on the catamaran.

“Hey, CJ.” On the rigid platform to CJ’s right, Bradley hung on to one of the lines.

“Pull up a net, Red.” CJ patted the spot next to him, eyeing the bottle in his friend’s hand. “You’re drinking water? I thought Uncle Tom said it was okay for you to have a couple of drinks.”

“He did. But…” Bradley allowed the word to drift off as he and CJ watched Ritchie lose control of the small watercraft and splash into the water. The boy resurfaced, laughing and screaming he wanted another go. “I like your brother, he’s a cool kid.”

“Yeah, It’s good to have him around all the time again. So, the water?”

“I… Oh hell, you know how competitive I am. You’ve seen me playing. After you guys ambushed me earlier this summer―”

“Hey! We didn’t―”

“No, no, no, it’s cool. I’ve figured out I needed it. Anyway, after that happened, Trip took me to these meetings he kinda leads with a substance abuse program. I listened to what a few of them had to say the first time I went and made a bet with myself I could survive the entire vacation without drinking alcohol.”

“What brought that on?”

“Oh man, I got scared listening to them. One guy was in a car accident while drunk. He didn’t kill anyone but the driver of the other car ended up in the hospital for weeks. A woman lost custody of her kid because she would hit him when she drank. The stories were horrible.” Brad closed his eyes and shook his head while staring at the shore. “Trip talked to me afterwards. It took a few days, but I realized I was being an ass just because Dad was so easy going and for the first time I had a lot of freedom. I could come and go as I pleased which I couldn’t in Boston.”

“Scary, ain’t it? Same shit happened to me when I moved from Miami.”

“Yeah, but from what I hear, you handled it better than I did.”

“Dude, I was so fucking scared. I mean, you moved here voluntarily. I was thrown out. Last thing I wanted was to do something wrong and Dad or Papa deciding they didn’t want me around.”

“Really? You never mentioned that before.”

“Nah, what the hell for? I can’t stand people who moan and groan about their problems looking for sympathy. It’s stupid. I kinda did the same as you and made a bet with myself. Although I didn’t think of it as gambling. I decided I’d be the best kid I could be and make sure the dads never had a reason to want me gone. Of course, now I realize they never would have done that. But I was just a little boy back then, what did I know? The dads were never gonna let me go once they had me here in Washington.”

“When did you figure out you were in for good?”

“After my first trip to Chicago. Papa and I got into a fight and didn’t talk to each other for a week. I smoked pot, went to a bar to watch a drag show, and fucked somebody for the first time. Papa was pissed but not once did he say he didn’t want me around.”

“I can see that. Uncle Brett’s crazy about you. Anyway, I wanted to thank you for caring. For forcing me to deal with a problem I didn’t even know was a problem. Thiago and I’ve gone to the movies a couple of times this summer and I told him the same thing I’m telling you. And I’ll do the same with the rest of the Squad when they’re all back in town.”

“The what?”

 • • •

“Is he all settled in?” César was propped up on an elbow in bed, when Brett walked into their cabin and closed the door.

“Yeah, he was all excited about being in that cramped little space. Kids are sooo weird sometimes.” Ritchie and Bradley had each taken one of the small crew sleeping berths in the pointed ends of the pontoons while CJ and Owen took one of the larger rooms and Liz the other one.

“That boy’s resilient as hell. I was a bit concerned about him this morning. Unsure how he’d react to being out on the water after his parents died in a boating accident.”

“Told ya, Emperor. He might not be as outspoken and blunt as CJ, but he ain’t no slouch. He’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, if he survives. I still can’t believe you told him he could start taking flying lessons.”

“Hey! I made CJ the same offer.”

“And I thought it was nuts back then too. But if it’s what he wants…”

“That’s my man!” Brett finished stripping and joined his husband in bed. “The hands off approach has worked well with his brother. I don’t see a reason to change our approach with our second son.”