David and Andrew Book 2: With These Rings

Chapter 1: Fathers and Sons I came in from walking the dogs with Brad, our teenage ward. As we stomped the snow off our boots and brushed it from Jake’s and Annie’s fur, I overheard Andy, my partner on the phone. I assumed it was another vet emergency. I was wrong. “That would be great, Dad…No, it’s no problem, we have plenty of room…Yes, even with Brad here.” He turned to us, shook his head and rolled his eyes. “No, Brad’s okay with it. He knows David and I are gay.” Andy rolled his eyes again. Brad snickered. “No, he won’t be freaked if you and Norman are sleeping in the same room.” He put his hand to his forehead and tilted it backwards. “Okay, that’ll be fine. We’ll pick you up at the airport. What time are you getting in?…Okay. Bye, Dad…I love you, too.” He hung up and turned to Brad and me. “Well, Dad and Norman are coming for Christmas.” “When does their flight get in?” Brad asked. “Saturday at 12:06 P M.” This would be Nelson’s and Norman’s first holiday with us. Andy had his knickers in a bunch as the days until their arrival approached. “Are we going to decorate before they get here?” Andy asked. “That’s okay with me,” I responded. “Well,” Andy went on, “maybe we should wait until they get here. That way they could enjoy decorating with us. On the other hand, maybe it would be better to have it all done. That way they could just walk in and enjoy the ambiance. Whaddaya think?” “Either way, whatever you’d like,” I said. “Okay,” Andy went on without making a decision. “What about sleeping arrangements?” I smiled to myself. “Remember we decided they could use the downstairs bedroom because that would give them more privacy.” “Oh, yeah, right. Which sheets should we use? The flowered ones are so, well—gay, for want of a better word.” “Aren’t your dad and Mr. Perkins gay?” Brad interjected. I chuckled. “Yeah, but…well, okay, maybe flowers would be all right then.” “Anything you want.” I was trying hard not to laugh now. Brad’s head was swiveling back and forth between us as if he were at a tennis match. “How about Peppermint Schnapps? Norman likes Peppermint Schnapps.” “It’s in the basement refrigerator.” “How much did you get? Did you get egg nog? Vernor’s? Dad likes a highball with Vernor’s. I’ll just run down and check.” With that Andy was gone. Brad looked at me with a, What the heck was that all about?, expression on his face. I smiled and told Brad how Andy hadn’t known his dad when he was a child. They’d met in a strange twist of fate only two years earlier. “That kinda explains it. Well, it’s good to be with your folks at Christmas.” Brad looked sad. This was only his second Christmas since his parents had been killed. He’d done well last year, but it was obvious he still hurt at the thought of being without them. I knew well how he felt. The first few years after my wife had died were pretty rough. When Andy had come into my life, things began to change. We’d considered inviting Brad’s grandmother for the holidays but thought better of it as she’d had a hard time, at first, allowing Brad to live with a gay couple. We decided the overload of Nelson and Norman might be too much for the dear lady. We were let off the hook when she called to say she’d be in sunny California with her son and his large family. Andy returned, handed me a beer and gave Brad one of the two Pepsies he carried in his other hand. He sighed as he sat on the couch. “I need to relax.” Brad and I nodded in agreement. “I’ll take care of that in a bit, in the usual way.” I said and winked at him. Brad blushed. A minute later I noticed he’d adjusted himself in his jeans.