The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 3 - 60. Trying to Make Plans

On Friday, I called Shady Pines to speak with Dr. Epstein. “I just wanted to find out how Julie Thornton is doing.”

“She’s still being hydrated and medicated intravenously, and she’s also receiving oxygen treatments so we’re keeping her in the hospital for a few more days. You can visit her there, if you wish.”

“Her sons are only eight and I haven’t told them how serious her condition is, so I’d rather not take them to visit her there. I’ll find another way to explain this to them and then I’ll call you back next week to see how she’s doing.”

“That will be fine and I think you’re making the correct decision concerning her sons.”

When we were leaving work, I told Brandon what I’d discovered and then we talked about when he thought I should inform the twins that we wouldn’t be visiting their mother on Sunday. We decided to wait until Sunday to do this, and then I would also play down any of their questions so as not to alarm them.

When we got to the house I said hello to the boys first, and then I went out to chat with Dad. After I gave him an update about Julie’s condition, I sought his advice. I told him what Brandon and I had talked about and he agreed it would be best to downplay the situation so we didn’t upset the twins. That night at dinner, Hunter asked a question, but fortunately it wasn’t about his mother.

“Tristan’s going to be with Revin tomorrow, so are we gonna do something fun?”

“Yeah, it’s gonna be boring if Tristan and Revin aren’t here,” Hayden agreed.

“I’m not sure why you think that, but what if I give you an idea about something you can do that might be fun,” I offered.

“Ok, what is it?” Hunter responded.

“Most of the leaves have fallen from the trees by now, so if you rake them into a big pile in front of the porch then you can jump into them. I’m sure Dobby and Flash would have fun playing in the leaves too.”

“Oh, yeah. We never thought about doin’ somethin’ like that,” Hayden confessed while looking intrigued about the idea.

“And Flash and Dobby are already picking the leaves up in their mouths and shaking them back and forth, so it could be fun,” Wyatt agreed.

“Then I think your problem is solved.”

“Now I kinda wish I was gonna be here too,” Tristan stated looking slightly upset.

“I’m sure you’ll be able to do it when you get home on Sunday.”

After dinner the boys started playing video games, but the puppies kept interfering because they wanted to play. After whining to us about what Dobby and Flash were doing, we suggested that those not playing the video game should pay attention to the puppies instead, and that way they wouldn’t interrupt the game. The boys liked the idea, so before long we heard Wyatt and Tristan calling the puppies to chase them while Hayden and Hunter played the next game.

This went on until bedtime, with the boys switching who was doing the two activities, and the puppies followed them upstairs when they went up to shower. Brandon and I went up to read to them a little later, and now Dobby and Flash were lying peacefully beside the boys as they listened to the story.

After we finished reading to them, we tucked the boys in bed and said goodnight, and Flash was in the doggy bed in the twins’ room as we left. When we said goodnight to Tristan, we noticed Dobby was in the doggy bed in his bedroom, so everything was back to normal and the puppies were as content as the boys.

When Brandon and I got home from work on Saturday, we saw Wyatt, Hayden, and Hunter jumping off the front porch into a big pile of leaves. As soon as they landed, Flash and Dobby would run through the pile to get to them, and they seemed to be having a good time as well.

“You were right. This is fun,” Hunter told us as we were walking up the sidewalk.”

“We’re glad you’re enjoying it.”

As soon as we entered the house, we said hello to Dad, Pop, Dion, and Trey, and then Brandon and I headed upstairs to change. As soon as I finished and was heading down the hallway to go downstairs, Benny came up to me.

“Can we get some more lube?”

“You mean you’ve used the other one up already?”

He hesitated briefly before he answered. “Uhhh, yeah, cuz we used some of it for jacking off too.”

“Just some of it?”

He grinned at me slyly. “Yeah, what can I say? We like doing it to each other.”

“Who does it to whom the most?”

“We take turns, so it’s about the same.”

“I didn’t realize that Joshie turning thirteen was going to turn you two into sex machines.”

“Well what did you think was going to happen? We’re horny teenagers.”

“Obviously, so let me get the lube for you.”

When I returned and handed it to him, he turned and hurried toward his bedroom, so I shouted to him. “Sorry to interrupt your plans, but lunch is nearly ready and we’ll be calling you down to eat soon.”

“Ugh, I forgot about that. Just let me put this in my room and we’ll come down to eat with the rest of you. Oh, and thank you,” he shouted over his shoulder as he excitedly made his way back to his room.

I called the younger boys from outside and asked them to wash up, and then we all sat down to eat. While we were doing that, I asked the boys a question. “Have you all finished making out your Christmas lists yet?”

“We’ve started, but we didn’t want to give them to you until we were sure we’d written everything down?” Hunter answered.

“Look, we aren’t the Koch Brothers, or one of Sam Walton’s children, so we don’t have an endless supply of money to buy everything you want. Just write down the things you want the most and we’ll select items off the list to get you.”

“Ok, we’ll give them to you later,” Benny stated.

“Do all of you agree?” I asked to be certain.

“Yes,” they all concurred.

“And me and Wyatt will give our lists to our dads too,” Joshie added.

“Then we should be in good shape.”

As soon as the meal ended, the boys went to do other things, which included looking online to see what they might want for Christmas. I also heard some of them saying that they wanted to talk to their friends and see what they thought about certain items before they decided if they wanted to include them on their list. I knew this meant they weren’t quite ready to give us their lists yet.

The rest of the day was fairly uneventful as Brandon and I worked on our chores and got ready for the next day, and that’s how the day went until we sent the boys upstairs to get ready for bed. After they finished their showers, we went up to read to them before tucking them in and saying good night. After we left their rooms and had made our rounds, we went downstairs to chat with the others.

“Is there anything we can do to help you with the twins tomorrow?” Dad asked as soon as we joined them.

“No, I’m just going to tell them their mother isn’t feeling well so we’re not going to visit her.”

“When do you plan on doing this?” Pop followed.

“I thought I’d wait until after we got back from church. They’re used to staying behind after the rest of you go inside, so I thought I’d tell them then.”

“Isn’t that cutting it a little close?” Trey asked next.

“Maybe, but if I tell them sooner it might ruin whatever else they’re doing. I’m not sure if they would have had a good time jumping in the leaves today if I’d told them already, and I don’t want them being miserable while we’re at church or ruining their appetite at brunch.”

“Ok, maybe it’s best that you wait then,” he agreed.

“Do you think we should plan on doing something else with all of the boys then, to help keep the twins from dwelling on it after you tell them?” Dion followed.

“That’s probably a good idea. Do you have something in mind?”

“Not really, so let’s put our heads together and come up with something.”

We started bouncing ideas off one another until Dion offered another suggestion. “They still haven’t given us their Christmas lists, so what do you think about taking them to the mall. We can visit a bunch of different stores and it should help them make up their minds about what they want.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Dad concurred. “Thinking about Christmas usually keeps kids from thinking about other things.”

“Ok, then let’s do that,” I agreed.

We talked a little longer and discussed other topics as well, and then we all retired to our bedrooms for the night.

When we arrived at church the next morning after stopping to pick up Becky, Revin, and Tristan first, we went to our various Sunday school classes. While we were waiting for our class to begin, Becky asked a question.

“What can I bring for Thanksgiving dinner?”

“You should ask my dad about that, because he’s the one organizing everything.”

“Ok, I just wasn’t sure if I should bring a casserole or a dessert.”

“Personally, I’d like to see your pineapple upside-down cake on the dessert table.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, but I’ll talk to your dad as well.”

“We’re going to take the boys to the mall today so they can look around and get ideas about what they want for Christmas, so would you and Revin like to join us?”

“That’s probably a good idea, because he hasn’t mentioned what he wants either.”

“Ok, but we’ll be going home first, because I usually take Hayden and Hunter to see their mother after church. We’ll pick you up on our way to the mall, and I’ll call and let you know when we’re ready to leave.”

“Ok, that sounds good.”

When the church service ended, we headed over to the diner for brunch. I saw Becky chatting with Dad once we got there, so I felt she was asking him the same question she’d asked me earlier. I just hoped he was telling her to bring a dessert. While they were chatting, I mentioned to Brandon, Dion, and Trey that Becky would be joining us later.

After dropping off Becky and Revin at their house, we returned home and I told Hunter and Hayden to wait for me by the car. Once the others had gone inside, I was ready to break the news to them.

“I’m afraid we won’t be going to see your mom today.”

“Why not?” Hunter demanded.

“I talked to the nursing home yesterday and was told she still isn’t feeling well. They said she needs to rest as much as possible so she’ll be better by Thanksgiving.”

“Is she gonna be all right?” Hayden followed.

“Yes, she just needs to get plenty of rest until she’s feeling better.”

“Are we gonna see her on Thanksgiving then?” Hunter wanted to know.

“I hope so, and I’ll call next week to see if she’s up for a visit.”

They both seemed to accept this, so we went inside to change out of our church clothes. When the boys came downstairs a few minutes later, we called them together.

“We thought you boys might like to go to the mall this afternoon so you can look around. We hoped it would give you some ideas about what you want for Christmas. Would you like to do that?”

“Yeah, and then we can add new stuff to our lists or make changes if we see something better,” Benny stated.

“Yes, we thought this might help you make up your minds so you can finally give us your lists.”

They all agreed, so I called Becky to let her know we were on the way before we loaded up in the two SUV’s and set out to pick them up. When we got to the mall, we wandered around for about an hour when my phone unexpectedly rang. When I looked to see who was calling, I noticed it was Holly.

“Hello and how are you doing?”

“I’m worried. I can’t get a hold of my mother.”

I took a second to think about what I was going to say before I responded. “She’s a little under the weather, but I can’t talk about it right now. We’re at the mall with the boys trying to help them get ideas for their Christmas lists, so let me call you back when we get home. I’ll explain it all to you then.”

“So she’s ok and nothing happened to her.”

“Like I said, she’s just a little under the weather, but it’s nothing to worry about.”

“Ok, just don’t forget to call me back.”

“I won’t.”

I’d fallen behind the others, since I didn’t want the twins to overhear my conversation, so now I hurried to catch up with them again. I whispered to Brandon about who had called, since I knew he’d heard my phone ring, and I informed him that I was going to call her back when we got home.

We spent nearly three hours wandering around the mall looking at toys, electronics, and clothing, and when we told the boys it was time to leave, I think they were all ready to go.

“Did that help give you some ideas?” I asked as we were leaving the mall.

“Yes, it helped a lot,” Hayden answered.

“I’m glad I came too,” Ryan agreed. “I saw a couple of things I didn’t know about, so I’d never considered them.”

“Ok and you can make your lists out when we get home and then give them to us, unless you don’t want anything for Christmas.”

“You know we do, so we’ll give them to you as soon as we’re done,” Benny replied.

While Brandon was encouraging the boys to get working on their lists, I went to our bedroom to call Holly. She answered immediately, so I knew she’d been waiting for me to call back.

“So what’s wrong with my mom?”

“I haven’t told your brothers this, but she has pneumonia. She’s being treated for it and is doing much better now, but they had to take her to the hospital to care for her properly.”

“So that’s why I couldn’t reach her?”

“Yes, they didn’t have the facilities to treat her at the nursing home, so they took her to the hospital.”

“Is she still there?”

“As far as I know, but I’ll be calling her doctor tomorrow to see how she’s doing and when she’ll be moved back to Shady Pines.”

“So my brothers didn’t visit her today?”

“No, I merely told them she wasn’t feeling well and needed to rest so we weren’t going to visit her today. We decided on the trip to the mall as a distraction to keep them from thinking about it.”

“Ok, I hope she’s better by the time I get home for Thanksgiving, because I want to visit her while I’m there.”

“You’ll be able to do that, either at the hospital or the nursing home, but I have a feeling it will be at the nursing home.”

“I hope so.”

We talked a little longer about how she was doing and how her classes were going, and then Brandon came in so I let him speak with her for a while too. She also wanted to talk to her brothers, but I told her she could do that in person in a couple of days. I said this because I was worried she might say something that would upset the boys or they could tell there was something wrong by the way she sounded. She understood, so we said goodbye and ended the call.

The rest of the day went smoothly. After dinner I checked the boys’ homework assignments and then we watched TV with them. Hunter and Hayden seemed slightly down, so Brandon and I asked them to sit between us on the sofa so we could give them a little personal attention. As it grew later, we sent them upstairs to get ready for bed, and then we read to them before tucking them in.

When we went downstairs after saying goodnight to each of the boys, I told the others what I’d told the twins and about Holly’s call, and then I asked Dad a question. “So what did you tell Becky to bring for Thanksgiving dinner?”

“She was somehow under the impression that you wanted her to bring her pineapple upside-down cake.”

“I might have mentioned it as a suggestion.”

“Well I told her that would be fine, and she said she’d bring two so there would be plenty for you.”

“I can’t wait.”

After our discussion ended, we all agreed to turn in, but I didn’t fall asleep right away. I was wondering what I was going to find out about Julie when I called Dr. Epstein the next day, and if she’d be better by the time Holly got back. I certainly didn’t want this to ruin the holiday for any of them.

I managed to take a short break before lunch on Monday so I could call to see how Julie was doing. The receptionist connected me to Dr. Epstein without a hassle this time.

“It’s Dan Currie. I’m calling to see how Julie Thornton is doing and when she might be returning to Shady Pines.”

“I’m glad you called. I went to visit her at the hospital on Saturday and Sunday and she’s doing much better, so I’ll be discharging her tomorrow morning. She should be back at the nursing home by lunchtime.”

“That’s great news. Do you think she’d be up to joining us for Thanksgiving dinner, because I’d really like her to spend the holiday with her children?”

“It’s a possibility, but why don’t you call me back on Wednesday so I can see how she’s doing once she’s back at Shady Pines. I probably wouldn’t even consider it under normal circumstances, but seeing you’re a doctor, I know she’ll be in good hands. In fact, it’s possible she wouldn’t even be alive today if you hadn’t brought her condition to my attention, because I wasn’t scheduled to see her until Monday afternoon. I think the extra day made all the difference in the world.”

“I’m glad to hear that, because I only want what’s best for her and her children.”

When I met up with Brandon for lunch, I told him about my conversation with Dr. Epstein before telling him something else. “I’d really like to bring Julie to the house for Thanksgiving dinner.”

“I understand that you want to do this for Julie and her kids, but do you think she’ll be able to eat what we’ll be having?”

“Maybe not the way the rest of us do, but I’m sure we can make it so she’ll be able to enjoy it as well. I’ll either cut her food into small pieces for her, or if necessary I can put some of it in the blender so she can eat it.”

“Ok, you’re the doctor and know what’s best.”

“Thank you for the vote of confidence.”

When we arrived home later, we went through a normal evening with the boys, and after we read the next chapter and tucked them in, Brandon and I went downstairs so we could fill in the others.

“I didn’t mention this earlier because I didn’t want to boys to overhear what I had to say, but I called to check on Julie today and was told she’s going to be discharged in the morning. I asked if she might be well enough to join us for Thanksgiving and was told to call back on Wednesday to see if she was still improving, but I wanted to get your approval to do this as well.”

“I think it’s a great idea,” Dion replied first. “I’m sure it would also make the day for Holly, Hunter, and Hayden.”

“I’m sure it would, but do you think she’ll be able to eat what we’re having?” Pop asked.

“Brandon and I talked about this earlier, and I told him I’d either cut everything into small pieces for her or possibly use the blender to chop it up for her, but I’ll be responsible for doing that.”

“I’ll help too,” Trey offered.

“Thank you, I appreciate it. So are we all in agreement that I should do this if she’s feeling well enough to join us?”

They all added their vote of approval, so now all I had to do was wait to see what Dr. Epstein said.

Tuesday passed by quietly and we were all looking ahead to the adoption ceremony and seeing more of the family at Thanksgiving. Nothing else was discussed, and before long the boys were in bed resting up for the next day.

I called Dr. Epstein before I left work on Wednesday, since my office was only opened half a day. “It’s Dan Currie again, and I’m hoping Julie Thornton is doing well enough so she’ll be able to join us for Thanksgiving dinner.”

“She doing much better and I think that will be fine, as long as you don’t keep her out too late.”

“This is excellent news and I promise that I won’t keep her out past her bedtime.”

“Then I’ll leave word with the staff so they’ll know to have her ready before you get there. What time will you be picking her up?”

“Let’s say noon, because we’ll be eating at 2:00.”

“I’m sure she’ll enjoy being with all of you.”

“I want to ask you another question before we end the call. We’ll be having the adoption ceremony for her children on Wednesday at 4:00, so do you think we can pick her up for that as well? She’s allowing us to legally adopt her children because of her medical condition, and I think she’d like to be there when it happens.”

“I’m afraid we should limit her participation to one or the other. I’ll leave the choice up to you.”

“Then we’ll pick her up on Thanksgiving Day. Thank you for your kind assistance with this.”

“You’re welcome, and I hope you and your family have a great holiday.”

“And I wish the same to you and your family.”

I wasn’t planning on telling the kids until I picked their mother up and brought her to the house, because I wanted it to be a complete surprise. I can’t wait to see their faces when I wheel her into the house.