The Castaway Hotel - 9 - 18. Chapter 18 - A Major Decision

“She freaked out when the doctor told her,” Dion informed me, “although she had a feeling she might be pregnant, since she missed her last two periods.”

“That would do it,” I agreed.

“Well, she thinks her parents are going to go ballistic, because this could ruin her plans about going to college,” he continued. “Shelly mentioned the possibility of having an abortion, but said her parents would never allow it, because they’re big right to life people.”

“That does present a conundrum,” I agreed. “So what if she has the baby?”

“Shelly says she can’t keep it, so if she does give birth, she’ll have to give it up for adoption,” Dion explained.

“And how do you feel about that?” I pressed.

“Awful,” he replied. “Trey and I have talked about having kids some day and now I’ll be letting one of my own be given away to total strangers.”

“Have you thought about keeping the baby and raising him with Trey then?” I asked.

“How can we do that? We’ll both be in college,” Dion pointed out. “That’s why Shelly can’t keep the baby either, because then she’d have to forget about getting her degree.”

“Let’s slow down here a minute,” I suggested. “First, are you planning on telling Trey about this?”

“I don’t know,” Dion admitted. “I don’t want him thinking I cheated on him and then not want to have anything more to do with me, like happened with Kevin and Vinnie.”

“But they worked their problems out,” I pointed out. “I’m certain you two can do the same, if you discuss this with him.”

“You really think so?” Dion pressed.

“Yes, I do. I think Trey loves you enough not to let this bother him to the point where he’ll want to break up,” I confirmed. “And if you two have talked about having children, then he might prefer to raise your child, rather than someone else’s.”

“But how would that be possible, when we’ll be away at school?” Dion asked. “Even worse, we’ll probably be attending different colleges too, unless I don’t go to college and just stay home with the baby.”

“First, let’s see what Trey has to say about this,” I informed him, “and then we’ll try to work out the details and arrangements, if he’s agreeable.”

“So you think I should tell him?” Dion challenged.

“Dion, it would be better if he heard if from you, rather than someone else,” I explained. “This is a small community and word is sure to get out, so I think it would be better if you told him what happened, instead of letting someone else spring it on him.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Dion agreed. “Do you think I should do it now?”

“Why don’t you wait until Friday, after he’s finished his classes for the week,” I suggested. “That way he’ll have the weekend to think about it and regain his composure, before returning to his studies.”

“Good thinking,” Dion retorted. “Then he won’t be able to blame me if he gets bad grades from getting upset about it.” I didn’t think that would happen, but obviously Dion saw it as a possibility.

Once I drove back home, I went to share this information with Jake. I thought he should also be aware of the predicament Dion was involved in. We chatted for nearly an hour about the pros and cons of what I’d suggested and then we put it on a backburner, until Dion spoke with Trey.

It seemed as if Friday would never arrive, but when it did, things began to happen. This started after dinner, when Dion called Trey on his cell phone.

“Hi, my love,” Trey responded, when he discovered who was on the other end.

“You may not feel that way about me when you hear what I have to say,” Dion countered, and then proceeded to tell Trey the same story he had shared with me. When he finished, he waited, breathlessly, to see how Trey was going to respond.

“Do you know if it’s going to be a boy or girl?” Trey asked, which totally surprised Dion.

“You mean this doesn’t bother you?” Dion asked.

“Well, it does bother me that you had sex with a girl,” Trey confessed, “but if it means you’re going to be a father and have a baby, then I want us to be his or her parents.” I think Dion was flabbergasted. He didn’t expect Trey to react in this manner.

“Are you sure?” Dion asked. “I mean, the baby will always remind you about what I did.”

“If it means we can have a child that’s part yours, then I’d let you fuck every girl you meet,” Trey teased. “Yes, I’m positive. Let’s start a family!”

“But how, since we’re both going to be in college? Do you think I shouldn’t go now?” Dion wondered.

“No, I don’t think that, but talk to Dad and I’m certain he’ll help us figure something out,” Trey offered. “I think this might work out perfectly for us.”

They ended the phone call a short time later and then Dion came to find me. He explained what Trey had told him and I just smiled. I had a good hunch it was how Trey might react.

“Okay, then the next thing for us to do will be to sit down and talk to Shelly,” I suggested. “Do you think you could arrange it?”

“Yes, I’m pretty sure I can,” Dion offered. “I’ll go call her and then let you know what she says.”

I figured it was the most we could do for now, so I waited for Dion to set things up. While I was waiting, I picked up some papers I brought home from work, so I could go through them. One was a flier for the gay-straight alliance that announced their March event, which was going to be held the following week. They were having two speakers for a special assembly; the first was going to speak about, “Being Gay in the Twenty-First Century,” while the other was going to address the topic of, “The Risks Involved With Being Sexual Active as a Teen.” I found that very ironic, seeing Dion was the president of the club and had been involved with setting up this program.

Dion called Shelly and she agreed to meet with us the next afternoon. I asked where they were planning to do this and Dion said Shelly had suggested getting together at her house, since her parents were going to be away. They would be attending a wedding for a friend’s child, so we’d be completely alone. I agreed that would be fine, so Dion called her back to confirm a time for this to take place. It was sort of tense around the house the rest of the evening and the next morning, as we waited for our meeting to take place.

Saturday afternoon, Dion and I drove to Shelly’s house at the appointed time, to see what we could work out. She greeted us at the door, took us to the living room and offered us a drink. We both accepted, because I felt this topic might tend to leave us with parched throats, due to the tension surrounding the topic. Shortly after she returned, we got started.

“Okay, Dion’s told me that you know I’m pregnant and want to see what you can do to help,” Shelly began.

“That’s correct,” I assured her. “Have you any thought about what you might want to do about this?”

“Yes, it’s all I’ve thought about,” she fired back.

“And what have you decided?” I followed.

“There’s no way I can have an abortion,” she began. “My parents wouldn’t give their approval and none of us believe in doing that anyway.”

“Are you going to keep the baby then?” I asked next.

“Probably not,” she said. “I want to go to college, so I can study music, and I wouldn’t be able to do that with a kid.”

“What would you think of the idea of Dion raising the child then?” I asked.

“Isn’t he going to college too?” she wondered. “That would put him in the same predicament as it would me.”

“Not exactly, because here’s what we’ve talked about,” I began. “I’m going to make a suggestion and I hope you will be willing to hear me out.” She nodded her agreement, so I continued.

“If you’re willing to have the baby and then sign over full custody to Dion,” I went on, “then I’m willing to pay for all of your medical expenses, if you don’t have insurance, and also give you $10,000 to cover the pain and suffering of childbirth. You may then use the money to pay for college or whatever else you might deem appropriate.” I gave her a few seconds to think about this, before I continued.

“Do you think you might be interested in agreeing to something like this?” I pressed, when she failed to respond.

“I was leaning toward giving the baby up for adoption anyway,” she answered, “so that part wouldn’t be a problem. The thing is, you still haven’t explained how Dion will be able to raise the baby.” She then looked at him and continued. “Dion, don’t you want to go to college too?”

“Yes, Shelly, I do,” he replied, “but Dad has an answer for that too.” She suddenly turned back and faced me again.

“Shelly, if you’ll do this for us, I’m going to retire and stay home to take care of the baby, until Dion and Trey finish their academic pursuits,” I explained. “Once one or both of them have graduated, I will allow them to raise the child, from that point on. Does that answer you’re question and meet with your approval?” Shelly thought about this momentarily, before giving her response.

“Yes, I guess that would be as good as any other option I have,” she agreed. She seemed to be lost in thought for a minute, and then said something else.

“Dion would you also allow me to see our child from time to time?” She looked hopefully at Dion, as she awaited his reply.

“Of course! Whenever you want,” Dion agreed, once it dawned on him what she was asking. “Our baby will always know you are his mother and Trey and I will be his two dads. I would never cut you out, if you want to spend time with our child, and I’m positive Trey will feel the same way.” Shelly slowly broke into a smile.

“The only problem I see now is that the baby is going to be born in September, which will interfere with me starting college,” she pointed out.

“Only for a semester,” I responded. “You would be able to start your coursework during the second semester, after the holidays. I’ll do everything I can to get the university or college that accepts you to allow you to delay your entry into their program until that time.”

“If you’ll do that for me too, then I don’t see a problem with it and I don’t think my parents would have a problem with it either,” she confessed. “They’ve always liked you and thought very highly about what you’ve done by taking in all of these boys. They even love Dion, but they just don’t like the mess we caused.” She released a nervous little titter, after admitting this.

“As long as you think your parents will agree to this too, do you want to say yes now or wait and discuss this with them first?” I continued, just to see where this was going to go next.

“I’m sure this will work out nicely, but I want to talk it over with my parents first. Is that okay?” she asked.

“Of course,” I stated. “And if they want to talk it over with Dion and me, we’d be happy to come back and explain this to them as well.”

“I think this will solve all of our problems,” she confessed, “but there might be a little problem.” I looked at her, wondering what she was referring to. I hoped it wasn’t something that was going to send us back to square one.

“It’s just that I won’t feel right about taking money from you, when you’re doing this to help us out,” she admitted.

“Don’t think that way,” I urged. “Just look at it as if I’m reimbursing you for the work you’re doing for us by having the baby. In the long run, you’re doing us a huge favor, so I just want to give you a little compensation for your time and trouble.”

“Seeing you put it that way, I guess it would be all right,” she confirmed, so I think that issue was now behind us.

When we returned home, I sat down with Jake and began making some plans. I would have to announce my retirement effective this summer, or as soon as the district could find a replacement. I would stay on as a consultant, if they wanted my help until the new guy adapted, especially since the district had been so very good to me and allowed me time with the family. I wasn’t about to just up and leave them high and dry now, but I would write my letter of resignation immediately. By doing this, I’ll be giving them plenty of notice and time to search for a replacement. I’ll also do all I can to assist them afterward and help them get a new superintendent in place.

Jake and I had already agreed we would be fine financially. I would be getting a decent retirement package, so we wouldn’t have to struggle, especially since nearly all of the boys had accounts set up in their names and most of them would be away at school. This would not only allow me to raise the baby, but I’d be able to spend more time with Jake, Sammy, Little Ricky, Andrew and Jesse too. It will be Sammy and Little Ricky’s last year home, since they will be seniors in the fall, so I feel this will work out fine.

A couple of days later, Shelly’s parents asked to meet with us, so I invited them to our place. I wasn’t worried about this get together and felt they were just making sure it was in the best interests of their daughter. When they showed up, Dion and I led the three of them to the family room, where we could shut the door and speak privately. Shortly after they arrived, Jake brought in some refreshments and we got comfortable, then I felt it was time to get the ball rolling.

“I imagine you’ve come to discuss the arrangements I’ve talked to your daughter about?” I began.

“Yes, Shelly told us what you’ve offered to do, so we just want to make certain she understood you correctly,” her father stated.

“A wise precaution,” I agreed, before I explained everything I had told her.

“That’s very generous of you,” her mother stated, “and of Dion too. I was somewhat surprised that he agreed to let Shelly see the baby as it grows up and all.”

“I want the baby to know his mother,” Dion confirmed, to her delight.

“And his other grandparents,” she added, with a grin.

“I’m just worried about her going to college,” he father interjected.

“As I told Shelly, it should only delay her by a semester,” I reiterated. “I have also told her I’d be willing to contact the university or college personally, to make certain they would be agreeable to the delay. Shelly, where are you applying?”

“To the University of Pittsburgh, in their music department,” she replied. “I figured since I was already working on my vocal skills there, I might as well continue.”

“Me too,” Dion agreed, so I looked at her parents again.

“Well, since the faculty members there are already working with her and know about her amazing talent,” I began, “and Dion is planning to go there as well, I don’t foresee the University will have any problems with this.”

That seemed to be all they wanted to hear, so they thanked us. Before they left, however, Shelly’s father did tease Dion about wearing a ‘raincoat’ in the future. However, overall it was a fairly amicable meeting.

Shortly after I turned in my resignation, I received a call from the board president. “Josh, you’re not really doing this to us again, are you?” he began.

“Yes, this time I see no other option,” I told him.

“Josh, we’ve worked with you in the past and we’ll continue to work with you in the future, so you’ll have all the time you need with your family,” he agreed. “We just don’t want to lose you. I’ve spoken to the other board members and they all feel the same as I do about this.”

“I really appreciate that,” I replied, “but this time the situation is different.”

“How so?” he wondered.

“There will be a baby to take care of now,” I explained.

“Josh, you’re not taking in a baby, are you?” he asked, mildly shocked. “Why in the world do you want to deal with an infant? Have you forgotten about the messy diapers, constant interruptions to your sleep, the endless crying and constant supervision?”

“I haven’t and that’s why I need to retire,” I emphasized. “I’m not taking this responsibility lightly and it’s not just any baby. One of my boys made a foolish mistake and got a girl pregnant, but he doesn’t want to give the baby up. The girl has agreed to sign custody over to him and then I’m going to raise the baby, so he can attend college. I know this isn’t setting a very good precedent in the community, with one of my sons fathering a child at such a young age, so I’m hoping this will lessen any impact it might have on the district. If I step down and move out of the limelight, so to speak, maybe the repercussions to the district won’t be as large.”

“Josh, this is going to come as a total shock to one particular former board member,” he joked. “He’s been claiming all of your sons are gay, so this will make him look like an ass again.” We chuckled briefly, as we considered the irony.

“I wish I could convince you to stay on, but I see you’ve given this plenty of serious thought,” the board president reluctantly agreed. “I guess all that’s left to do is wish you good luck with this endeavor and ask when you’ll be done for good.”

“I’ll stay on and help out as long as you think I’m needed, unless I think you’re stalling or taking advantage of the situation,” I answered. “I owe you at least that much, for all you’ve done for me.”

“And we appreciate that, Josh,” he agreed.

The board president then told me they’d get a search organized and asked if I’d help with that task, so I assured him I would. Our conversation ended shortly thereafter, but I knew word would spread throughout the district quicker than a brushfire in a Santa Anna wind.

That evening, while my mind was on the baby, Jake got a call from his doctor’s office, telling him his blood work results were in. Jake set up an appointment for the following afternoon, since he didn’t want to put this off and worry about it any longer, so I agreed to meet him there.

I had plenty to do the next day and was almost late getting to the doctor’s office. When I walked in, Jake had already checked in, so we sat and waited. When he was called, we were led to a small room and waited for the doctor to arrive. A short time later, the doctor walked in, greeted us and smiled.

“The news is all good,” he stated, relieving the anxiety immediately, “Nothing showed up in your blood work either, so it looks as if you have a clean bill of health for another six months.”

Jake was overjoyed and thanked the doctor profusely. Once he settled down, we went out and set up an appointment for his next six-month check-up, before going home. It was indeed a joyous night and one that Jake and I celebrated privately later, in our room.

At the end of the week, I received a call from the High School principal. “Josh, did I hear correctly?” he began.

“If you’re referring to the fact that I’m retiring,” I replied, “then you have.”

“I never saw this coming,” he continued.

“Well, neither did I, but circumstances cropped up that indicated this would be my best course of action,” I told him.

“Why? What are you going to do?” he pressed.

“Spend more time with my family and take care of a baby,” I answered. “I won’t go into details, but there’s a small child that will need my care and I can only do that if I’m not working. He will require my full attention, so there wasn’t much of an option.”

“You’ve always been a great family man and an excellent father,” he responded, “besides being a wonderful boss. I can’t see me working for anyone else now.”

“Unless you’re retiring too, I’m afraid you’ll have to,” I pointed out.

“There is another possibility,” he implied. “Josh, would you support me, if I threw my hat into the ring for your job?” I didn’t even have to take time to think about it.

“I’m not sure why I didn’t think about that before,” I began, “but I think you would do a great job in the position. You have the required credentials and quite a bit of experience, since you’ve covered for me at various times. If you want to apply, you will have my full support.”

“Thanks, Josh,” he replied. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

And I meant it sincerely. He has done a marvelous job at the high school and has been my backup and covered for me whenever I was unavailable. Beside that, he also knows the people in the district and has their respect, so he should be a shoe-in for the job. The only way he wouldn’t get the job is if some ringer applies from outside the district, but I don’t see that happening. It was hard finding a good candidate before, so I don’t see anything different happening this time around or anyone applying that would be better qualified than he is.

It seemed as if everything was falling together quite nicely for us. Jake got a clean bill of health after his checkup, Dion and Trey agreed to raise Dion’s little accident, Shelly and her parents have agreed to our offer, my retirement will work out well and it looks as if I’ll have an excellent replacement. I don’t think I could have asked for more.

Oh, yes, I nearly forgot to mention that in the midst of all of this, we made another trip to Chicago to participate in the St. Patrick’s Day parade again. It was a much shorter visit this time and Jesse made an adorable Leprechaun. We arrived on Friday, which gave Andrew and Jesse time to spend time with Barry again. We all had a great time over the weekend, even though Duck and Mark didn’t join us this year. The Flannerys were perfect hosts, as they had been the previous year, and we had another marvelous stay in Chicago.

By the beginning of the third week in March, I had another wonderful treat in store. Jesse’s adoption was about to become legal. We still had to meet at the courthouse for the formal ceremony, but with Steve as my lawyer and Jesse’s mother in full agreement, I didn’t foresee any problems.

When the big day came, things went so smoothly that we were in and out quite quickly. The same Judge that had presided over our last adoption ceremony was in charge of this one too, so he had few questions or concerns. Steve gave him the background information he needed, before he spoke with Jesse and his mother. Since they were both agreeable to doing this, it went through quite easily.

Jesse also chose to change his last name, so he would now officially be known as Jesse Albert Currie. Afterward, I took him, and everyone else, out for a little celebration. I think Jesse was more excited that Andrew was really his brother now, rather than the fact that I was his father, so I guess I see where I ranked in the progression of things.

Easter also fell in March this year, on the last weekend of the month. It doesn’t happen very often, but it’s how it worked out this year, so I began making plans. The boys were all coming home, with the exception of Frankie and Nick, but Duck would be joining us as well. It would be a very busy weekend and there would be a lot going on during the holiday, so I had a lot to plan. I didn’t want there to be any glitches.

The boys would be returning home on Good Friday and we’d attend services at church later. The next day, Saturday, I planned to hold Jake’s and my commitment ceremony and, amazingly, my pastor had offered to help us with it. He agreed to let us use the church for the event, although he made it clear the church wouldn’t be sanctioning this event, just him. I agreed we were more than happy with this arrangement and couldn’t ask for more, so it seems we had cleared the last hurdle.

Once that was behind us, we would celebrate Easter Sunday and the entire family would be joining us for dinner. I was euphoric that they were going to be there to share in our happiness on Saturday and then we’d also get to celebrate Easter together. The weekend would be crammed full of activity and I wanted it all to be as close to perfect as possible.