The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 3 - 53. Many Plans

It was apparent that Dobby and Flash had missed the boys while they were away, because both of them raced over and started jumping up on the boys to get their attention as soon as we walked through the door. The boys were delighted by the puppies’ reaction and petted them profusely before taking them outside to do their business.

When they came back inside, Dobby was following Tristan and Revin, while Flash was trailing behind the younger three boys. “Those two were whining last night when they realized the boys weren’t home, so Benny and Joshie moved both doggy beds into their room to quiet them down.”

“Who’d have thought the puppies would be lonely in a household full of people?” I mused.

“But their benefactors and caretakers weren’t here,” Dad responded.

“Yes, they’ve certainly bonded with the boys,” I agreed.

Dad asked how our visit had gone so we filled him in. After we finished, he told us that he’d invited Becky to join us the following day for a cookout, so she agreed Revin could spend the night and she’d take him home with her tomorrow after the cookout.

Seeing that situation had been addressed, we joined the others for dinner. When we finished eating, we asked the boys to unpack the suitcases and toss the dirty clothes in the hamper, and then we gave them some time to do whatever they wanted.

About an hour later we sent the boys upstairs to get ready for bed, and then we went up to read the next chapter to them before saying goodnight. As soon as we finished our rounds, we went downstairs to chat with Dad.

“Is there anything we can do to help get ready for the cookout?” Brandon asked.

“Not until tomorrow. Jake and Trey helped me get everything ready, so I’ll just need some help setting up.”

“Ok, if you’re sure. What time did you tell Becky we’d be having the cookout, because I have to take the twins to see their mother?”

“I told her noon or a little after.”

“Ok, then I’ll take the boys around 9:00, and that way we’ll be able to spend a couple of hours with her before we need to return home.”

“That sounds fine, but you’ll probably have to wake them up. I doubt they’ll get up that early on their own.”

“Yes, I figured that would be the case, but it shouldn’t be too bad, since they’re used to getting up earlier than that for school.”

A short time later the rest of us turned in as well, and I made sure to tell Brandon my plans for tomorrow before we fell asleep. “That’s fine,” he responded, “because I have a ton of laundry to do.”

“I know and I’d stay behind to help with it, but I promised Holly I’d take her brothers to visit their mom.”

“It’s not a problem, because you really wouldn’t be able to help very much anyway. I merely have to load the washer and dryer and wait for them to finish before I can fold the clothes.”

“I just don’t want you to think that I’m dumping all of this on you.”

“I know you’re not, and we each have our duties to perform, so I’m fine with this.”

When I woke up in the morning, I went down to grab a cup of coffee first, and Dad told me he’d start making our breakfast when I went to awaken Hunter and Hayden. I felt bad when I was doing it, because they woke up Wyatt too, so I urged him to go back to sleep for a little while longer.

“Then why are you waking them up?” he asked.

“I’m taking them to see their mom before we have the cookout.”

“Oh, ok,” he mumbled before lying down and closing his eyes again.

Seeing the twins were still a little groggy, I helped both of them get dressed, and then I held their hands as we walked downstairs to eat breakfast with Dad and Pop. We were just about finished when Brandon came down to join us, because I also let him sleep a little longer, and as we were getting ready to leave, Dion and Trey came downstairs as well.

As I was driving to Shady Pines, I suddenly realized that we might get there before Julie and Alice were awake, or possibly they’d still be eating breakfast. It was too late to worry about that now, so I kept on driving. When we got to their room, they were both sitting in their wheelchairs.

“That was good timing,” Alice said when we entered. “They just brought us back from the cafeteria.”

“I was worried about that, so I’m glad it worked out.”

The boys then went over to give their mother a kiss and a hug. “We went to see Holly at her college yesterday,” Hayden told her.

“Was it… nice?”

“Yeah, it was,” Hunter answered, “and we learned a lot about the floods they had there.”

“Yes, those… were awful.”

“And we rode up the side of a mountain on a funny lookin’ train,” Hunter added.

“I rode… on it… once too.”

“Dad said they’re gonna adopt us,” Hayden followed.

“Yeah, they’re gonna adopt me, Hayden, and Holly too,” Hunter added.

“I knew he… was going… to do that… and I think… it’s great.” I believe this helped reassure her sons that she agreed with the idea.

Now that the boys had told her about our visiting Holly and the adoption, I asked a question. “How would you ladies like to go outside for a while?”

“That would be nice,” Alice answered.

“Yes, otherwise… we are stuck… in here… all day long… so let’s… do that.”

Hayden and Hunter pushed their mom and Alice down the hallway and out the rear door of the nursing home, and then we sat in the fresh air and sunlight as we chatted with them. The boys told the women more about our trip, and then they told them about Dobby and Flash too. Julie and Alice then asked the boys about their new school and whether they liked their teachers, and they answered those questions as well.

After spending a couple of hours with Julie and Alice, we wheeled them back to their room and said our goodbyes. As soon as the boys hugged and kissed each one, we said we’d see them again the following week and then we left. It was time to get back to the house for the cookout.

As soon as we got there, I went to find Brandon first, and after I filled him in on how the visit went, we helped to take things outside. Pop was already busy setting up the grill, so we carried out the coolers with the drinks and we had the boys follow us with the paper plates, dinnerware, and condiments. While we were doing that, Dion and Trey carried out the banquet table and set it up to make sure there was enough room for everyone. Once that had been taken care of, they got the camping chairs out of the shed and placed them around the banquet table, along with the plastic chairs. We’d left those out after the last time we used them, but the camping chairs were made from canvas, so we’d stored those in the shed. It now appeared that we were ready for the others to arrive.

The first to show up were Cole and Beth, Jesse, Kevin and Vinnie, Richard, and Dustin and Katie. I was somewhat surprised when Sammy, Andrew, and Graham’s car pulled in the driveway, since they didn’t live that close to us. After we greeted them, they told us they wanted to spend the day celebrating with the family and felt it was worth the long drive. Becky showed up shortly after they did, and then Uncle Steve, Aunt Mary, and Aunt Sally were the last to arrive.

After greeting everyone and chatting with them briefly, I pulled Uncle Steve aside so we could chat. “We offered to adopt Tristan, Holly, Hunter, and Hayden and they all accepted. The problem is finding a time when we can do this, because Holly’s away at college.”

“I think I can take care of that for you,” he quickly replied. “I’m sure she’ll be returning home for Thanksgiving, so why don’t we schedule if for the last thing on my calendar the Wednesday before.”

I quickly checked the calendar on my phone. “So we’ll do it on Wednesday, November 21^st?”

“Yes, and we’ll schedule it for 4:00, so we can all leave afterward and security can lock up the courthouse for the holiday.”

“That works for me.”

“And it will give us something else to be thankful for at dinner the next afternoon.”

“It definitely will.”

I then went to tell Brandon what we’d agreed to, and I saw Uncle Steve chatting with Tristan, Hunter, and Hayden. He was probably confirming that they wanted to do this as well.

Nearly everyone had brought something to add to the meal, so there was more than enough to go around. Dad and Pop were busy manning the grill again, a job they both enjoy doing, so Brandon and I just made sure everyone filled their plates and found a place to sit down and enjoy it.

We always looked forward to these family gatherings, but this one came with a certain amount of sadness, because it officially marked the end of summer. It had been a good one, though, so rather than complain we chose to look forward to the fall and winter holidays and the job they would bring.

After we finished eating, some of us played a touch football game while others played volleyball, and the younger boys played with Dobby and Flash. Later, we agreed to play a game of kickball with the boys, and occasionally one of the puppies would chase after the playground ball and attempt to bite it. Luckily, their mouths weren’t big enough to do that, so they didn’t interfere with the game too badly, and all in all it was a fun afternoon.

After taking a break and having dessert, Graham, Sammy, and Andrew thanked us and then got ready to leave. They had a long drive home and the three of them had to go to work the next day, since they were all teachers.

A short time later, some of the others began to leave as well, so before long it was just Becky, Revin, and those of us living at the house. She was helping to put things away, while Revin, Tristan, and the younger boys were playing with Dobby and Flash.

“Doing this with you guys is always such fun,” Becky stated as we were walking into the house.

“We’re glad you enjoy it, and you two are also invited to join us for Thanksgiving and Christmas.”

“I look forward to it, and I know Revin does too.”

“And so do we,” Brandon confirmed.

Shortly after she and Revin went home, we decided to have leftovers for dinner, and then went to watch TV with the boys. Everyone was tired from running around while playing games earlier, so we used this time to allow our bodies a chance to recuperate.

We eventually sent the boys upstairs to get ready for bed, and then we went up to read to them. After Brandon finished the chapter, we kissed them all goodnight and began our abbreviated rounds to do the same with the others. As soon as we finished doing that, we went downstairs to chat with the rest of our family before we turned in.

“That was fun and thank you for all of your hard work,” Brandon told Dad and Pop.

“We enjoy these gatherings as much as you, and you’re welcome,” Pop replied, and then I went over to chat with Dion and Trey.

“Have you two talked to Joshie about what he wants to do for his birthday?”

“Yes, we have. His birthday is in eleven days and happens to fall on a Friday, so we’re planning to have a small family party for him after dinner. We’re going to have another party with a few of his friends on Saturday, and the other boys will be invited to that one as well.”

“Are you doing something special for that party?”

“Yes,” and then he told me what it was.

“That sounds good. We’ll have to talk to Tristan to see what he wants to do for his birthday, because his is two weeks after Joshie’s.”

“We can do something similar to what they’re doing for Joshie, since Tristan’s birthday falls on a Friday as well,” Brandon added.

“Yes, we can have a family party on Friday night, and then we’ll just have to see what he wants to do on Saturday and whom he might want to invite.”

“And we’d better start thinking about Wyatt, Hunter, and Hayden’s joint birthday party too, because it will only be a week or two after Tristan’s birthday, depending on when we decide to have it,” Trey pointed out.

“And Ryan’s birthday is only two days after the twin’s birthday,” Brandon added.

We quickly looked at our calendars to see how we wanted to work this. “What if we have Wyatt and the twin’s party on Sunday, October 7^th?” Dion suggested. “That will only be one day after Wyatt’s actual birthday and four days before the twin’s birthday.”

“That’s a great idea, because then it will allow us to have Ryan’s party on his actual birthday, Saturday, October 13^th,” I agreed.

“Whoa, I just realized something,” Pop blurted out. “That means Holly and Ryan’s birthdays are both on the thirteenth.”

“Yes,” Brandon confirmed. “Holly’s is July 13^th and Ryan’s is October 13^th.”

“No wonder they feel a connection,” he mused.

“I think it’s more than just that,” Dad quipped.

Now that we’d finished our discussion, we all agreed it was time to call it a night and turn in. When Brandon and I got to our bedroom, we decided we still had enough energy left to have a little fun before we went to sleep. It would also relax us, because we were going to have a lot of planning to do starting the following day if we’re going to pull off these birthday parties successfully.

When we arrived home from work the following evening and after we’d said hello to the boys, Dad signaled that he wanted me to come to his bedroom. “This package arrived for you earlier, so I put it in here. I wasn’t sure if it was something you’d ordered for one of the boys’ birthdays.”

“No, in fact it’s something Ryan had me order for the Haunted House. I’ll take it up to my bedroom when I change, and then I’ll get Ryan so he can see it too. I’m glad you did this, though, because we don’t want the younger boys to see these things yet.”

“Ok, I won’t say a word.”

I then carried the package up to my bedroom. Brandon had already started changing, so I opened the box and showed him both items before I also began to change.

“Wow, I’m impressed,” he stated after checking them out. “They’re very realistic.”

“Yes, I’m impressed too. I wasn’t sure they were going to be this nice, and it’s why I only let Ryan order these two items. If the person wearing this mask has on the right clothing to go with it, it will make an impressive and frightening addition to the Haunted House.”

“Most definitely.”

As soon as I finished changing, I carried the box up to Noah’s room next. “Our package arrived and I’m very pleased with what both of these items look like.” I then let him check them out for himself.

“Yeah, they’re just as impressive as I thought they’d be, so can we order the rest of the stuff now.”

“Pull them up on your laptop and we’ll order another group.”

Over the next several minutes we filled out another order form and submitted it. If they were anything like the items we just received, then this was going to be one interesting and scary Halloween.

I let Ryan keep both of the items in his room, but I warned him not to leave them lying around because I didn’t want the other boys to see them. He promised he wouldn’t, so I went downstairs to see if I could help out with anything.

After dinner, Brandon and I pulled Tristan aside to ask if he had any ideas or requests about having a birthday party. While we were discussing that, Dion and Trey were fine tuning their plans with Joshie. When we finished, the four of us got together to meet with Wyatt, Hunter, and Hayden so we could ask them similar questions. By the time we finished our meetings, the four of us had a pretty good idea about what we were going to do for each of their birthdays.

When I read to the boys later, we finished the final chapter of Double Fudge, thus ending the entire Fudge series. That’s when I reminded them about something else before we said goodnight.

“Remember, starting tomorrow night you’re going to have to get ready for bed an hour earlier, so you’ll have to make sure your homework is done before then.”

“Yeah, we know, cuz we really want you to read The Hobbit to us next,” Hunter replied.

“Yeah, we all talked about it and want to do this,” Wyatt confirmed.

“Revin is doing it with his mom too,” Tristan added, “and he told me she said he’d have to get ready for bed earlier too. He said she got that idea after she talked to you guys.”

“Yes, we talked to her about it at the Labor Day cookout,” Brandon concurred.

“Ok, we just wanted to make sure you all understood,” I concluded.

We then tucked the boys in bed, kissed them on the forehead, and bid them sweet dreams. Brandon and I then headed downstairs to chat with Dion and Trey as soon as they returned from saying goodnight to the boys.

When the four of us met up again, we discussed the various things we’d talked about with the boys, and then we started making plans for the three birthday celebrations. This was especially important to do for the combined party, and by the time we finished we each had a good understanding of what we still needed to do to pull this off for the boys.

When I got home on Wednesday I had one more task to perform that I hadn’t done the night before. After I changed, I went up to Ryan’s room to have another chat.

“You’ve got a birthday coming up, so do you want to have a party?”

“Nah, I’m getting too old for that. Besides, my friends will probably be here working on the Haunted House.”

“That’s true, but you can still have a party.”

“Since my friends will already be here, you can just order pizza for us and then we’ll have cake and ice cream afterward.”

“Ok, we can do that, so how about giving us a few ideas about what you might want for a gift?”

“I’ve been thinking about that and have decided on this. I’ve had my permit for nearly a year now, and I’m also taking Driver’s Ed, so I’ll be ready to take my driving test soon. If I pass it, will you let me start driving your car to school?”

I thought about this for a second before I answered. “Yes, as soon as you pass the test we’ll let you start driving the car to school and we’ll use the SUV to get to work. So when do you think you’ll be ready to take the test?”

“I’ll talk to my Driver’s Ed teacher tomorrow and see if he thinks I’m ready to do that. If he does then I’ll call to make an appointment, and thanks for agreeing to this.”

“You’re welcome, and just let us know when you’ll be taking the test, because one of us will probably have to take off work for you to do that.”

“Maybe not. If you start driving the SUV to work and leave the car here, then Grandpa Josh can take me out to practice after I get home from school. I think that would help a lot, seeing I’ll be using the car to take my test, and if you do this then he can go with me when I take the test so you guys won’t have to take time off from work.”

“Ok, let me talk it over with Brandon and your grandfather, but I’m sure he’ll be willing to do this for you.”

“Great and that will be the best present you can give me.”

“And the cheapest too,” I joked.

“Maybe, but I talked you into spending a lot of money on those things for Halloween, so you’ve spent enough on me already. Besides, I’ll be ending up with a car.”

“True, and if you don’t wreck it, maybe we’ll have Cole do some body and mechanical work on it so you can also drive it to college.”

“That would be awesome.”

“Then I guess I have all the information I need.”

After running this by Brandon, I went down to talk to Dad about it before dinner. He didn’t have a problem with it either, so things were working out. I also mentioned this to Ryan before he got to the table, and then I had to warn him not to do anything to draw attention to himself, such as screaming or jumping around due to his excitement. I also explained that I didn’t plan on telling anyone else about this until his birthday.

After dinner, I spent some time with the boys helping them with their homework, seeing they were having some trouble with their assignments. I believe Hayden and Hunter were surprised that I didn’t just do it for them or give them the answers, because I used completely different examples to show them the process. After realizing they were going to have to do this for themselves and get it done before I’d agree to go upstairs and read to them, they eventually buckled down and worked it out. I was pleased to see this and praised them effusively for persevering, and I felt this was going to have a big impact on their future efforts.

After I sent the boys upstairs to get ready for bed, Brandon and I went up to read to them. Before Brandon got started with the next chapter, I had something to tell the boys first.

“We’re starting this later than I wanted tonight, but I’ll let it slide this time. However, if this happens again, then we’ll just have to skip reading a chapter for the evening. Therefore, I urge each of you to get started on your homework earlier, so you can get help sooner and make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

They were all looking at me with stunned expressions on their faces, so Brandon offered them a word of advice. “He’s serious about this, so don’t test him on it, because you’ll be the ones to lose out, not us.”

That obviously brought home the point, so I doubted we’d have to deal with this problem again. As Brandon started reading, the boys began leaning forward so they wouldn’t miss a word, and when he finished we tucked the boys in bed and bid them goodnight. Another lesson learned.