The Castaway Hotel - 9 - 30. Chapter 30 - Joshie

Once Shelly had been admitted, I went to the phone to make a couple of phone calls. First, I called Jake, to let him know I might be late, and then I called the school and left a message for Sammy. I told him to make sure everyone got home safely and to keep the house in one piece until Jake and I got there. Then I called Dion.

“Hello.”

“Dion, it’s Dad. Are you able to talk or are you in class or something?” I asked.

“No, I’m in my dorm room,” he told me. “I finished my last class at 2:00. What’s up?”

“Well, I figured I’d better call, since I just took Shelly to the hospital,” I announced.

“She’s having the baby?” he screamed back.

“That’s why I brought her to the hospital, but she hasn’t had the baby yet,” I explained, with a tinge of sarcasm.

“Will you call me when she has it?” he pleaded.

“Of course I will,” I assured him. “And you may come home this weekend to see them. Just tell Brandon, so he can plan on driving you back.”

“I can drive,” Dion stated.

“I know you can, but you’ll be so rattled and excited that I think I’d feel better if Brandon brings you,” I replied. “Just humor me and do this. You’re too inexperience as a driver, and with all the excitement and your mind thinking about other things, there’s too great a chance you could have an accident. Please, just ask Brandon to do this.”

“Okay, okay, I will, as long as I can come home to see them,” Dion agreed. “Just call me as soon as the baby is born.”

“I will, Dion, just calm down,” I urged him. “I’ll call you as soon as I hear anything.” Dion thanked me and then I went back to see if there had been any news about Shelly.

Nothing had happened yet and it was nearing 6:00. I asked the doctor if it would happen soon and he merely told me she hasn’t come close to dilating sufficiently to give birth. He said it would still be at least a couple more hours before that happened. With this new information, I decided to leave for a short time and gave my contact information to the maternity room staff, so they could reach me if there was any change.

I drove to Shelly’s house first, to notify her parents. They said they’d just arrived home a short time before and wondered where she was. Obviously, Shelly forgot to leave them a note, so I explained the situation to them. Shelly’s parents said they’d go to the hospital shortly, once they grabbed a quick bite to eat, so I told them I was going home to do the same and would see them there afterward.

When I reached the house, Jake and the boys had a ton of questions for me, the most important of which was – has the baby been born yet? I told them that hadn’t happened, but Dion had been called and was coming home this weekend. I also let them know Shelly’s parents were on their way to the hospital too, so I think it filled them in on all the important information. Since that had been cleared up, I went to refresh myself, before I sat down to eat dinner with them, seeing they hadn’t eaten yet.

During the meal, I arranged for Dustin and Cole to take the boys to school the next day, in case I was still at the hospital or got home really late tonight. Dustin agreed to take the older boys to the high school, since he left first, and Cole would take Jesse. They also agreed to pick the boys up again later, but explained everyone would have to wait a bit, until they got out of work. I told them I’d call if I could pick them up, so the boys wouldn’t have to wait, or the boys could actually walk home and get there sooner, if they didn’t want to wait at all. The high school boys then agreed to walk over to the middle school to pick up Jesse, if they decided to do that.

When I returned to the hospital, Shelly parents were already there and quickly informed me she still hadn’t given birth. Her mother told me Shelly contractions weren’t coming any closer together, but seeing it was her first child, the doctor wanted her to stay, so he and the nurses could keep an eye on her.

As the hours passed and it grew closer to midnight, Shelly parents began to debate what they wanted to do. They had to work the next day, so they didn’t know whether they should go home, get some rest and then go to work, or if they should stay there and just call in later and tell their employers they wouldn’t be in. It turned out that Shelly’s father had a very important meeting the next day, so he opted to go home, but Shelly’s mother wanted to stay. I offered to take her home whenever she wanted, so her husband left and thanked me for helping them out.

It was after 1:00 in the morning when a nurse came out to speak to us. “You’re daughter has just given birth to a healthy baby boy,” the nurse explained. Shelly’s mother breathed a sigh of relief.

“How much did the baby weigh?” I asked.

“Let’s see,” she said, as she glanced down at a notepad. “The baby weighed seven pounds, four ounces and is twenty-one inches long.”

“And he’s healthy?” I followed.

“Very,” she stated, with a grin. “He has a great set of lungs and really screamed out when the doctor smacked him on the butt.” She giggled.

“His parents are both gifted singers, so he comes by those pipes naturally,” I teased back.

“Can we see her,” Shelly’s mother asked next.

“Shortly,” the nurse explained. “We are just making sure both of them are cleaned up and then you may see her and the baby.” Hearing this made us feel better, so we remained there until we could go in with them.

When we entered, I thought Shelly looked as though she’d been through hell and back, but she managed to flash us a weak smile. She was holding the baby, and he was cute, but it was far too early to tell what his coloring would be. Shortly after we got to see both of them, a nurse came in and took the baby and then Shelly told us she wanted to sleep. We agreed that was a good idea and told her we’d see her the next morning. I drove her mother home, and when I let her off, I told her to call me when she was ready to go to the hospital and I’d pick her up. She thanked me and then I drove home too.

Jake woke up when I came in, so I told him it was a boy and the rest of the vitals. Then I put a note on the refrigerator door for everyone else to read in the morning.

By the time I woke up, the house was empty and the sun was shining. When I looked at the clock, it read 9:28. I quickly jumped out of bed and hopped in the shower. Once I’d finished there, I dressed and went in to the kitchen to fix some breakfast. Before I did that, however, I checked to see if I’d missed any calls, but I hadn’t. Therefore, I texted Dion, since I wasn’t sure if he might be in class.

Dion, it’s a boy 7lb 4oz 21 in born 9-14 around 1:00 Call Dad

I know it’s a bit cryptic, but it takes me a while to type any of this stuff out using the phone. I see my sons do it with ease, but I’m a little less talented and it takes me much longer. Ten minutes later my phone rang.

“Josh, it’s Shelly’s mother,” the caller announced. “I’m ready to go to the hospital, whenever you are.”

“Great!” I replied. “I’m just going to grab a quick bite to eat and I should be there in say, thirty minutes or so.” She said that would be fine, so we ended the call.

I had just started to scramble some eggs when the phone rang again.

“Dad, are they both alright?” Dion asked.

“They’re both fine, Daddy, so relax,” I teased.

“What’s the baby look like?” he pressed, and I knew what he was after.

“He’s adorable, but it’s too early to tell his features or his skin tone,” I answered. “We should be able to tell a little more by the time you arrive. Just don’t be surprised if it takes a few weeks before you know what he’ll look like for sure.

“By the way, have you settled on a name yet?” I asked. “They’re going to need it, to fill out the birth certificate.”

“Yes, I’ve picked out the baby’s name, but I’ve only told Shelly,” he stated, rather cryptically. “She knows what it is.”

“And you don’t wish to share that information with me?” I asked, confused.

“I guess I can tell you, because she probably will anyways,” Dion replied. “I’m naming him after the two people I love most in this world. The baby’s name will be Joshua Alexander Currie.” I choked up and couldn’t speak momentarily. He was naming the baby after Trey and me, since Trey’s legal name is Alexander.

“Dad, are you there? Are you alright?’ I heard Dion ask, frantically.

“Yes, I am,” I assured him, after a second or two delay. “I’m sorry I didn’t say anything sooner, but I just got a little emotional and couldn’t speak.”

“So you’re okay now?” Dion followed.

“Yes, I’m fine,” I confirmed. “It’s just that I was a bit surprised over your choice of a name. I thought maybe you’d combine your name and Trey’s.”

“I never even considered that,” he replied, quickly. “I’ve always known I’d name my first son after you and then I added Trey’s name as his middle name, because you are the two people I care most about in this world.”

“Well, thank you and that’s quite an honor,” I told him, “so I hope I can live up to it. But one more thing before you go. Have you also discussed with Shelly about whether he is to be circumcised or not?”

“Yes, she knows that too,” he answered. “Trey and I discussed that also. There were pros and cons on both sides, but I finally decided I liked being cut, so the baby will be too.”

Seeing that issue was settled, I said good-bye, but before I hung up, Dion told me he loved me and would see me Friday. Brandon had agreed to drive and it worked out that neither Brandon nor he had any classes Friday afternoon, so they were leaving earlier than anticipated. I told him that would be fine and I’d see them both then. I also told him I loved him too and then he hung up.

Once the call ended, I sent a text to Trey and gave him the same information I had told Dion. I didn’t tell him the baby’s name, however, since I thought Dion should have the honor of doing that.

I then finished fixing my breakfast, and after I had eaten, I went down to pick up Shelly’s mother, so we could go to the hospital. Shelly was in her room, but the baby wasn’t with her when we arrived. We chatted with Shelly for a bit and asked how she was feeling. After she confirmed she was feeling fine, we walked down to the nursery to get another peek at the baby.

While we stood looking in the window, she mentioned she had already given the hospital the information for the birth certificate and the baby had been circumcised. I thanked her for taking care of all of those details and told her Dion had filled me in earlier about the information. Shelly then looked up and winked at me, before she spoke.

“Dion really does love and admire you,” she confirmed. “He told me he wanted the baby to have your first name and I agreed it was a perfect choice.” She then hugged me and thanked me for my help, before we walked back to her room.

We stayed with Shelly a little longer, and then I excused myself, so I could take care of some other matters. I left her mother there, but I stepped out of the room. As I passed the nurses’ station, I saw her doctor and stopped to inquire about the baby. He remembered who I was.

“So the baby is healthy and doing well?” I asked.

“Your grandson is in excellent shape and has a fine pair of lungs,” he teased. “The nurse told me what you said about his parents being singers.” He then chuckled. “I must also tell you that I’ve never circumcised a newborn with such a lengthy penis,” he joked. “That kid is going to be well endowed.”

“Yes, he comes by that honorably too,” I quipped back. “His father is quite well hung as well.” The doctor just chuckled again and congratulated me, before he returned to what he was doing. I went home knowing I had many phone calls to make and many questions to answer.

Throughout the remainder of the day, I called or texted all of the boys and told them the news. I immediately heard back from some of them and one of the most frequently asked questions was if the baby was as well hung as it appeared on the sonogram. I merely told them what the doctor had said and they were astounded a baby could be that large already! What the hell - so was I.

Trey was among those that called and he let me know he had already spoken with Dion too. Trey then asked if I had heard what the baby’s name was, but I was uncertain about how to respond. After thinking about it quickly, I concluded I should be honest with him, so I told him I knew, without saying what it was.

“Can you believe Dion named the baby after the two of us?” Trey asked, which let me know my precaution was unnecessary. “I thought he was going to name him Dion Jr. or at least something with his name included, but he used our names instead.”

“I know and I was as shocked as you are,” I confirmed. “I feel it’s a great honor he has bestowed on each of us.”

“Yeah, I know,” Trey agreed. “I know how much Dion loves you – heck, we both do, so I thought he might name the baby Dion Joshua or Joshua Dion. I just never suspected he would use my name at all.”

“Well, he loves you as much as he loves me,” I replied. “Maybe even more. In fact, I’m sure he loves you more. You two are going to be partners for life and I’m just his dad.”

“Not JUST his dad,” Trey corrected. “You re the best dad any of us could have hoped for.” I saw this was quickly becoming maudlin, so I changed the topic.

“And you know the baby was circumcised?” I asked.

“Yes, Dion was pretty insistent about that, but it’s fine,” Trey answered. “Have you seen him? Is it huge, like Dion’s?”

I told him what the doctor had said.

“Damn, another blessed soul,” Trey responded, almost dreamily. “His partner will be very lucky indeed.”

Damn, Trey had the kid grown up already and having sex. Give him time to get out of diapers first. I didn’t say that, but I hope he didn’t make comments like that around the baby as he was growing up. I think I’d better make sure to speak to Trey and tell him so, before he does make that kind of blunder.

“Dad, would it be okay if I borrowed the 4Runner and came home this weekend too, so I can see our son?” Trey asked. I was a little surprised he had put it that way, but I shouldn’t have been. Trey and Dion had agreed to raise the baby as their son. In fact, Trey was going to adopt the baby as soon as he graduated from college, so he would have a legal stake in Joshie’s life too.

“That will be fine, as long as you take it easy,” I told him. “If Kevin has any questions about this, just tell him to call me.” Trey agreed, and then we ended the call.

I was in and out of the hospital the rest of that day and the next. Shelly was discharged Friday morning and I stopped to get her mother, so we could bring Shelly and the baby home. Since I had a newborn’s car carrier in the front with me, her mother had to ride in the back. A short time later, we had all of them in the car and ready to take off. I dropped Shelly and her mom off at their house and they thanked me for everything. Shelly kissed the baby good-bye and then Joshie and I continued on to our home. Once there, I began to prepare for the onslaught of relatives and visitors I knew was going to follow.

I had already done a great deal of shopping to prepare for this, so I had plenty of formula, baby bottles, diapers, a couple of newborn pacifiers, some rattles and other toys, plus a crib with a musical mobile. I also had my favorite rocking chair situated so I could get to it easily and a collection of books stacked near it. I read to my children and grandchildren from the day I brought them home and this baby would be no different. Oh, I’d start off telling him nursery rhymes and singing him songs, if my voice didn’t scare him, but I’d also read some of the stories. Many were Disney books, which I’d had in the house for my other grandchildren, and now they’d be used on little Joshie. By the way, that’s what Dion told me we were going to call him, at least until he got older. He thought that way it wouldn’t get confusing as to whom people were talking about.

Since nearly everyone called me Dad, I didn’t see a problem, but I was fine with calling him Joshie. If memory serves me correctly, that’s what I was called when I was little, so he’d have to endure the same fate – well, until he was old enough to insist we call him something else.

Once the boys arrived home from school, Joshie became the center of attention. Everyone talked to him and wanted to hold him, and Joshie just seemed to enjoy all of the attention. He wasn’t scared or troubled by so many different faces, which was good, seeing what he was going to have to put up with living here. He also became the focal point of curiosity when I changed his diaper, as everyone wanted to get a look at his already legendary feature. I was surprised that some of the boys did this several times and acted as if it was going to grow even larger in between changings. Needless to say, he was the talk of the house.

Dion and Brandon arrived shortly after the other boys got home. Dion immediately picked up his son and began talking to him.

“Hi, little guy. I’m your daddy,” Dion cooed. “Well, I’m one of your daddies and you already met your Papa, whom we named you after. Your other daddy should be here shortly and then you’ll get to meet him too.”

It was so sweet to watch them interacting together and Dion was really reveling in his new role. Watching this made me realize it was going to be hard for Dion to leave Joshie when it came time for him to return to school, but I hoped he would enjoy the couple of days they had together before this happened.

Trey arrived home about a half-hour later and was also immediately smitten by our newest addition. “Oh, Dion. He’s just so cute and perfect,” Trey gushed. “And look at those cute little fingers and toes. Oh, my God, he’s so precious.”

“Joshie, this is your other daddy,” Dion announced, as he introduced the pair.

“Dion, don’t you think it’s going to get confusing for him, to call both of us Daddy?” Trey asked.

“Yes, it probably will,” Dion agreed, “but we’ll figure something out – unless you already have.”

“Well, I was thinking maybe we should do like Dad and Pop,” Trey admitted.

“So you want to be Pop to him?” Dion asked.

“Not exactly,” Trey countered, “because I think that would be confusing for Jake, but what do you think of the idea of Joshie calling me Poppy?”

“I think that is perfect and will work out fine,” Dion confirmed, and then leaned in and kissed Trey very deeply.

“Hey, be careful you don’t squeeze Joshie between us and hurt him,” Trey said, pulling back slightly.

“Oh, he’s going to learn to love being affectionate with both of us and with us being affectionate with each other,” Dion countered, only to get a strange look from Trey in return. About that same time, the baby started to cry.

“Dad, what’s wrong? Why is Joshie crying?” Dion asked, mildly panicked.

“He probably just needs his diaper changed and maybe a bottle,” I answered. “Would you two like to do the honors?”

“Ummm, would you show us how?” Dion asked.

“Which one? The diaper or the feeding?” I wondered.

“Ummm, both. I mean, we’ve never had any babies around here except for Kylie,” Dion answered, “so we really don’t know what to do.”

“Okay, Daddy and Poppy,” I responded, “come here and Papa will teach you what to do.”

I first showed them how to change Joshie. I placed him on my bed, after grabbing a diaper, and then unfastened the old one. I was about to remove it, when I heard Trey speak up.

“Holy fuck! Look at the size of his dick!” Trey exclaimed, while checking the baby out. “Damn, sweetie. He’s going to be even bigger than you.” Dion just grinned as he checked his son out.

Once I’d showed them how to change the diaper, I taught them how to heat the bottle next and then gave them a quick lesson on feeding Joshie. After they agreed they were ready to take over, I let them take turns feeding Joshie after that.

When bedtime rolled around, I asked the boys if they wanted to take Jake’s and my room for the night, so they could be close to the baby. I had his crib set up there and didn’t want to take it down and move it to their room. I told them Jake and I were willing to switch rooms for the night, if they wanted.

“Ummm, I’m not sure we should do this by ourselves yet,” Dion responded. “Would you stay with us, so we can learn what we’ll need to do?”

“I’d be happy to, but there won’t be enough room for all of us. I’ll stay with one of you for the night, but the other will have to wait until tomorrow,” I explained. “That way, each time Joshie wakes up I can explain how to care for him.”

Jake heard our discussion and immediately volunteered to sleep in Shannon’s room, since no one was currently using it. Although Trey was looking forward to spending the night with Dion, he agreed to sleep alone, so Dion could stay with me. Since everything seemed to be set, I’d just have to see if Dion would hear Joshie and wake up when the baby cried during the night.