The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 3 - 61. Much to be Thankful For

When Brandon and I got home from work on Wednesday afternoon, both Holly and Noah were already there. We said hello to each of them first, and then we all sat down to eat lunch. As soon as we finished our meal, we helped clear off the table before we started getting ready to go to the courthouse. There were still a couple of hours before the ceremony would begin, but we had a lot to do and the boys would need help with their ties. We also wanted to make sure Hayden and Hunter looked good for this very special day, because Holly had proven she was quite capable of doing that for herself.

Brandon and I had to shower first, since we’d just come home from work, and we had the boys wash their faces and hands before they started getting dressed. As soon as we put our pants on, we went to help the boys get ready, and then we returned to our room to finish getting dressed ourselves. We then went downstairs to meet up with the others, and everyone looked fantastic. Holly was wearing the same dress she’d worn to the wedding, complete with the necklace Ryan had given her and the ring Noah bought for her.

“You look beautiful,” I told her as I gave her a hug.

“And the dry cleaner was able to get out the stain from the wine that got spilled on my dress.”

“I knew they would.”

We arrived at the courthouse a little early, just in case Uncle Steve’s other cases finished sooner than expected. To our surprise, that’s exactly what happened, so when our names were called we went inside and took our seats. Aunt Mary, Aunt Sally, and Richard entered after we did and sat in the row behind us for support.

“The final case on my docket today is one of my absolute favorite duties as a judge,” Uncle Steve said after taking the bench and calling the court to order. “I get to declare three lucky minors to be the newest family members of a very loving household. This is an unusual case, however, since their mother is still alive and has given her permission for this to happen. If I may, I would like to read the official document she provided to the court.” He then withdrew a sheet of paper from a folder and began to read.

“I, Julie Thornton, am the mother of Holly Reynolds and Hayden and Hunter Thornton. I’ve been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, which means I am no longer able to take care of my children. I’m therefore granting permission for Dr. Daniel Currie and Dr. Brandon O’Hara to adopt my children, and I know Holly, Hayden, and Hunter want this to happen as well. They have been living with Dr. Currie and Dr. O’Hara since early June, when my doctor had me admitted to a nursing home. I can tell they love their new dads, so the adoption has my complete blessing and approval.”

I think we were all a little choked up after he finished reading her words, and I could tell that it touched her children the most. Uncle Steve even took a few moments to compose himself before he was able to continue.

“I have spoken privately with Holly, Hayden, and Hunter and have verified their desire to be adopted as well. Seeing I also have their mother’s permission and a loving couple who wants to add them to their family, I will now declare the adoption decree official and a matter of law. Holly, Hayden, and Hunter please come forward to receive the legal documents showing your current status,” he added before stepping down from the bench.

“So does this mean our new last name is O’Hara-Currie now?” Hunter asked Uncle Steve.

“Yes, that’s correct for you and Hayden, but Holly has decided to keep her name as it currently is.”

“I only did that so my college records didn’t get messed up,” Holly explained. “I’ll probably be changing my name when I get married anyway, so it didn’t make sense to do it now.”

“I understand and agree with your decision. I wasn’t criticizing it at all.”

“Ok, I just want to make it clear, in case this went into the records.”

After he shook each of their hands and congratulated them, Uncle Steve returned to the bench and made an additional announcement. “We aren’t done yet and I have another adoption to finalize. This time the adoption process is for a young man who lost his parents in a tragic accident. I have spoken with him privately as well, and know that Tristan Schneider has been living with the same family since shortly after his parents died. Dr. Currie and Dr. O’Hara have also indicated that they want to adopt him, so I’m now prepared to also declare this adoption decree official and a matter of law. Therefore, I would like Tristan Eric O’Hara-Currie to please come forward and receive your new legal documents as well.”

Tristan got up and strode toward the bench as Uncle Steve was stepping down from there again. Tristan then received his new birth certificate and Uncle Steve shook his hand and congratulated him. Uncle Steve then walked over to us and shook Brandon and my hand next, and congratulated us as well.

“I hope you’re going to join us for the celebration, because we’re heading over to the private dining room after we leave here.”

“Yes, Mary and I are planning on doing that, and Kevin and Vinnie said they’ll be there as well.”

“And so will Richard and I,” Aunt Sally added. “We took off work early so we could be here for the ceremony, and we look forward to helping you celebrate this wonderful event.”

“And we’re glad you’re going to be there as well,” Brandon and I confirmed.

We chatted with them for a while longer, and then we headed over to the restaurant. It was still a little too early to eat, so we merely ordered drinks and chatted for a while longer as we waited for the others to show up. During that time Hayden, Hunter, and Tristan brought their new birth certificates over to show us.

“See, it says my new name is Hunter Thornton O’Hara-Currie,” he said as he pointed at the words on the document.

“And mine says I’m now Hayden Thornton O’Hara-Currie.”

“Mine says my name is Tristan Eric O’Hara-Currie and my parents are Dr. Daniel E. Currie and Dr. Brandon P. O’Hara. What are your middle names?”

“Mine is Edward,” I answered.

“And mine is Patrick. It’s also my dad’s first name,” Brandon added.

“And we want you to put those documents someplace safe while you’re eating, because we don’t want them to get messed up or have anything spilled on them.”

“Ok,” they all agreed.

“Will you hold onto them for us?” Hayden asked.

“Of course,” Brandon answered as he took the documents from the boys. “I’ll take very good care of them for you.”

We finally agreed to order just before 6:00, and then we enjoyed a lovely meal together. When it ended our server brought in the special sheet cake we’d ordered in advance. On it was written in icing, ‘Welcome to the family, Holly, Hayden, Hunter, and Tristan.’

“Oh, that’s so sweet,” Holly said when she saw it.

“We just wanted all of you to know that we’re just as excited as you are about becoming part of our family,” Brandon responded.

“You guys are really special and I’m glad you’re our dads now,” she added.

“Me too,” the three boys agreed.

We let Holly cut the cake and then our server passed out a slice to everyone who was there. Before anyone started eating, however, I tapped my glass with a butter knife to get everyone’s attention.

“I’d like to offer a toast before we have dessert,” I began. “To our wonderful, new children and may we always be as happy as we are at this moment.”

“And to our dads,” Holly offered when I finished.

“Here, here,” the others chimed in.

When we finished our dessert, the rest of the family congratulated Holly, Hunter, Hayden, and Tristan before they said goodbye and headed home. We left after saying goodbye to each of them, and when we got to the house we found Elliot, Andrew, Sammy, and Graham waiting for us. Fortunately, Elliot still had his house key, so they didn’t have to wait outside.

“Where have you been?” Elliot asked when we walked through the front door.

“We had the adoption ceremony for Holly, Hunter, Hayden, and Tristan earlier, and then we went out to celebrate.”

“Oh, I forgot about that,” he responded, and then they also began to congratulate our newest family members.

As soon as I finished chatting with them, I asked the boys to feed Dobby and Flash next, and when they finished I sent them upstairs to take off their suits and get ready for bed.

“But it’s still early,” Tristan whined.

“I know, and you can all come downstairs again after you put on your PJs. It doesn’t make much sense for you to change out of your suits and put something else on, just to take it off again a little while later so you can shower and get ready for bed.”

“Oh, ok. That makes sense.”

“I’m glad you agree.”

After they had cleaned up and put on their pajamas, they came downstairs and went to play video games while we helped the others get situated for the night. We also chatted with Elliot about how his courses were, and a short time later Hunter came out to speak with us. He appeared to be upset.

“We forgot to take Dobby and Flash outside after they ate and I can’t do it in my pajamas,” he informed us.

“I agree, and since we didn’t want you doing it in your PJs either, I took Dobby and Flash outside while you boys were taking your showers.”

“Ok, I just didn’t want to forget about them, cuz I didn’t want them to have an accident.”

“And we didn’t want that either.”

When it got a little later, we sent the boys upstairs and then we followed them so we could read to them before they went to sleep. After we finished the next chapter, we tucked them in and bid them sweet dreams before heading downstairs again.

“What can we do to help you get ready for tomorrow?” I asked Dad when we joined the others in the dining room.

“Nothing until the morning. After we have breakfast, you guys can help put up the extra tables and set them, but I think we’re in good shape as far as the food is concerned.”

“Ok, we’ll help with those things then, but let us know if there’s anything else we can do.”

We then discussed who was coming so we’d know how many extra tables we’d need, and then we chatted some more with Elliot, Andrew, Sammy, and Graham. As it started to get late, we all agreed to call it a night, and then we headed to our bedrooms.

Dad was up long before the rest of us in the morning and had already prepared the turkey and placed it in the oven. As soon as the rest of us came down to join them, Dad and Pop fixed each of us breakfast. We protested at first and told them we could take care of ourselves, but they claimed it didn’t really interfere with what they were doing to get ready for Thanksgiving dinner. Although we couldn’t see how that was possible, we took them at their word and enjoyed the lovely breakfast they prepared for us.

Dad’s biological children and grandchildren began arriving before lunch and it was nice to see them all again. “This is our year to spend Christmas with the in-laws,” Michael told us after he and his family arrived, “so we’re here to spend Thanksgiving with you.”

“And we’re happy that you are able to join us,” I responded. “We should, however, start getting you set up for the night.”

“Just our children,” Elizabeth replied. “We talked it over with the other couples at the wedding and decided that we would reserve hotel rooms while we were here. We’ve already checked in, which should explain how we all ended up arriving at the same time, and this way we’ll be able to have a little private time with our spouses without worrying about interruptions.”

“I totally understand, so we’ll start getting your children set up.”

Elliot and Noah took Jordan and Nicky upstairs and helped them to get settled in, while Benny and Joshie did the same for Lucas. We hadn’t decided what we were going to do with the girls yet when Holly, Megan, and Kylie came out to speak with us.

“Is there a way we can all stay together in my room?” Holly asked.

“I guess that would depend. Are you willing to share your bed with one of them, because we only have one folding bed that we can put in your room?”

“I can sleep with Holly,” Megan offered. “I’ve seen her room and know her bed is big enough for both of us, and I’m just a little older than her so we’ll be fine.”

“Will you be ok on the folding bed then?” I asked Kylie next.

“Yeah, that will be fine.”

Brandon and I then went upstairs to get the folding bed and we carried it down to Holly’s room. Once it was set up, Brandon made it for her, and while he was doing that, I snuck out to run an errand. When I returned, Brandon opened the front door for me so I could pull Julie’s wheelchair inside. When Holly, Hunter, and Hayden saw her they came rushing over to give her a hug and kiss.

“I didn’t know you were coming,” Holly squealed excitedly.

“Your new dad… made sure… I was… invited.”

“Are you feeling better,” Hayden asked next.

“Yes. Much better.”

“I missed you last Sunday,” Hunter followed.

“And I missed… you too.”

As soon as they finished greeting their mother, I introduced Julie to the others and explained why she was in a wheelchair. They were both considerate of her situation and patient as they chatted with her, and she seemed to be enjoying their attention when she wasn’t busy chatting with her children.

About an hour later, the rest of those coming began showing up as well, starting with Uncle Steve, Aunt Mary, and Aunt Sally. Close behind were Richard, Jesse, Kevin and Vinnie, Dustin and Katie, and Cole and Beth. Shortly after they arrived, Becky and Revin showed up as well, so the gang was all here.

We continued chatting until Dad announced dinner was ready, and I asked Holly to wheel her mom out to the dining room table so she could sit next to me. When she asked why, I told her I was going to help prepare her plate and wanted her to be near me in case she had any problems. Once she understood my reasoning she did as I’d asked, and the rest of the family began to find a seat at one of the tables. Before we brought in the food, though, Dad announced we would be going around the room to find out what everyone was thankful for.

“May I… go first?” Julie asked, and Dad told her she could. “I’m thankful… that my… children… have been… adopted by… this wonderful… family.”

“And we’re thankful you allowed us to do that,” I followed.

Everyone then took their turn, with most giving the usual responses, but I was particularly impressed by what Becky had to say. “I’m thankful that my son and I were fortunate enough to meet this exceptional family, and they were kind enough to open their arms and hearts to us. We feel truly blessed.”

As soon as everyone had a chance to speak, Dion, Trey, Brandon, and I went out to help Dad and Pop carry the food in to the various tables. Once that was done, Brandon and Trey then helped the younger boys load up their plates while I asked Julie what she wanted. Once she told me I helped to cut it up for her, and when I asked if she’d be able to eat the turkey she said yes, if I cut it in small enough pieces. After I finished cutting everything up, I asked if it was small enough for her, and she said it was fine, so I sat down beside her and we got ready to eat.

The conversation around the table was lively and interesting, and then Dustin asked a question. “Was I the only one who was surprised when Ricky announced at the wedding that he and Tiffany were getting married?”

“I was,” Cole responded. “I didn’t think he’d ever find someone who would be willing to put up with him.”

“Oh, I think Tiffany is more than a match for him,” Marie stated. “I watched them at the wedding and she had him on a pretty short leash.”

“Do you think it will last and she’ll be able to continue doing that after they’re married?” Robert followed.

“Yes, because I believe she has her ways,” Marie replied.

“So who’s next, now that Ricky’s getting married?” Nicky followed.

“My money is on Frankie,” Dion answered. “I chatted with him at the wedding and he told me he’s been dating a female State Trooper. I wouldn’t be surprised if he made a similar announcement when he came home at Christmas. He said he’d be here to celebrate with us this year.”

“Very interesting,” Graham mused.

“I didn’t know Frankie had told anyone else that he’s been dating,” Dad added. “I got the impression that he wanted me to keep it a secret.”

“He didn’t say that to me,” Dion offered in explanation.

“Then you’re probably right,” Dad agreed. “Either way, the cat’s out of the bag.”

After we finished eating, we took a little break before having dessert, and then there was a large variety of items to choose from. Becky brought two pineapple upside-down cakes, like she’d promised, and Dad made a couple of pumpkin pies. Aunt Mary brought a couple of apple pies again, and Aunt Sally made a cheesecake. If anyone left hungry then it was their own fault.

As it started getting later, I told Julie that I should probably get her back to the nursing home, since I promised I wouldn’t keep her out too late. She understood and agreed to go, and we wrapped up a couple of pieces of the pineapple upside-down cake, a couple slices of pumpkin pie, and a couple squares of cheesecake for her and Alice to enjoy later. She then said goodbye to everyone, including her children, and they asked if they could ride to the nursing home with us.

“I have to use the car, because your mother can’t get into the SUV, so I’m afraid there isn’t enough room. We’ll go see her on Sunday, though.”

“What if I follow you in my car, and then my brothers can ride with me?” Holly suggested.

“I suppose we could do that, but then one of us will be riding home alone.”

“You were going to do that anyway, so can we do it?”

“Yeah, we want to say hi to Alice,” Hunter stated.

“And we can hold the dessert until we get there,” Hayden added.

“As long as you promise not to eat any of it before we get there.”

“We’re too stuffed to eat any more.”

Since they all wanted to do this, I agreed to have Holly follow me as we made our way to Shady Pines. When we got there, we wheeled Julie inside and let the staff know she was back, and then we headed to her room. When we got there, the boys told Alice what they had.

“We brought a bunch of desserts for you and my mom,” Hayden announced.

“Yeah, there’s pineapple cake, cheesecake, and pumpkin pie,” Hunter added.

“I think he meant to say pineapple upside-down cake, but he got the others right,” I clarified.

“Oh, they sound wonderful,” Alice responded.

After they set the plates down on the end stand between their beds, the boys and Holly went over to give Alice a hug and a kiss. We then chatted with her for a while and asked how her day had been, and then we told her we were planning to come back on Sunday to see them again.

“I’m going to do it before I drive back to Johnstown for college,” Holly confirmed.

“And I look forward to spending more time with you,” Alice confirmed.

After chatting with them a little longer, we said goodbye and headed home, and both women thanked us before we left. “Thank you… for picking… me up… and taking… me to have… dinner with… you and… my children.”

“You’re very welcome and we enjoyed having you there as well.”

“And thank you for bringing back enough dessert so I can have some too,” Alice added.

“We weren’t about to leave you out, because you’re important to us as well.” After I said this, I realized I should have probably brought her to the house for Thanksgiving as well.

One of the twins rode with each of us on the ride home, and Hunter joined me. “Thanks for doin’ that for our mom,” he said during the ride back.

“You’re welcome and we enjoyed having her join us too.”

When we got back to the house, we spent more time with the others, and then Dad’s biological children left to go to their hotel rooms. I don’t believe any of the others had any doubt about how they were planning to spend the rest of the night.

Lucas was having a good time playing with the puppies, seeing he was only twelve, and Becky agreed to let Revin spend the night, since it was his weekend to be with us. When we sent the boys upstairs to get ready for bed, I was told that Lucas was amazed that all of the boys were running around naked before they showered.

“I thought only Nicky and Jordan did that,” he said.

“No, it’s a nightly occurrence around here,” Joshie admitted.

When we went up to read to the boys, Lucas decided to stay and listen as well, even though it was only one chapter. When Brandon finished, Lucas asked what book we were reading because it was interesting and he wanted to read it all. I told him I’d make a list of all the books in the series so he’d have it to take home. He thought that was great idea, and then he could read them when he got home.

After they were all tucked in, we completed our nightly rounds. After we said goodnight to Joshie and Benny, we went to say goodnight to Jordan, Nicky, Ryan, and Noah next, but Elliot wasn’t in his room when we got there. He had left earlier so he could spend some time with Ian and his family, but I assumed they’d be arriving here later.

When we got down to Holly’s room, we knocked on the door first, and when she said we could come in, we said goodnight to them as well.

“Are you all ok in here?” I asked.

“Yes, we’re fine,” Holly answered.

“And you’re ok with the folding bed?” Brandon asked Kylie.

“Yeah, it’s just as comfortable as my bed at home,” she agreed.

After we said goodnight to them, we went out to the kitchen to help the others clean up and run the dishes through the dishwasher before we turned in. It had been a long and exhausting day.

The next morning we all had breakfast together, and then the kids went off to do other things while the rest of us were cleaning up the mess. A short time later the others began showing up again, and after chatting for a brief time we all headed outside to play in the annual post-Thanksgiving family touch football game. Only the adults and older children played this time while the rest watched and Vinnie kept score. It was a wild and high scoring contest that was a great deal of fun, both for those playing and those watching. After we finished, the younger boys played kickball, and then we went inside to enjoy another meal together. This one consisted of leftovers from Thanksgiving, along with a few additional dishes, and there was plenty for everyone.

After we finished eating, the younger boys decided to tell Dad’s biological children and grandchildren about the Haunted House. They even had me show them the photos of all of the boys in their costumes and I explained the role they played. After seeing and hearing all of this, they began to ask the boys questions.

“Weren’t you scared when you went through it?” Tim asked the younger ones.

“A little, but it was fun too,” Hayden answered.

“My poppy was more scared than me,” Wyatt added, which caused Sarah and some of the other women to giggle.

“Then you must be very brave,” Sarah observed.

“We were scared too, but it was also fun,” Hunter explained.

After they’d sufficiently covered the Haunted House, the topic turned to Dobby and Flash. After I explained how we got them, Robert made an observation.

“I’ve noticed the puppies seem to follow behind and hang out with certain boys.”

“Yes, each one has imprinted with different boys, so it works out fairly well,” Brandon confirmed.

“And they sleep in the boys’ rooms too,” Lucas added, since he’d seen them sleeping in the boys’ rooms when he stayed with us the night before.

“Yes, Flash sleeps in the doggy bed in the room shared by Wyatt, Hayden, and Hunter,” I offered. “Dobby sleeps in Tristan’s room, and Revin also sleeps in there when he stays with us.”

“That seems to work out very well,” Adrian agreed.

Before long, Dad’s biological children and their spouses left for the hotel, and we sent the boys upstairs to get ready for bed. When I went up later, I grabbed a piece of paper and took it with me. I then found Lucas and handed it to him.

“Here’s a list of the different books that are part of the series I was reading to the other boys, and they’re listed in the order you should read them.”

“Ok, thanks.”

We then read to the boys again before we tucked them in, and then we made our rounds to say goodnight to the rest of the kids.

Once that had been taken care of, we went to help the other adults clean up the kitchen and dining room before heading to our own bedrooms. Holidays tend to be long and tiring, although very enjoyable, because it’s nice to have such a large number of the family together again.