Sam and Chris Chapter 43
This story may occasionally include explicit depictions of sexual acts between consenting adult males. If you are underage or it is illegal to view this for any reason, consider yourself warned. If you find this material offensive, please leave.
This story is a work of fiction, and any resemblance to people, living or dead, is entire a coincidence. As the author, I retain all rights to this story, and it cannot be reproduced or published without explicit consent from me. This work is copyright © 2014 by Steven Wells.
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Sam and Chris
Previously
Sawyer and Glen didn't bother knocking. They stopped momentarily when they saw Donny and the dogs playing on the floor. "Looks like they are having a good time!" Glen announced before he hugged his mother and father.
Chris automatically retrieved beers for Glen and Sawyer as they sat talking with Glen's parents. Randy explained Donny's situation to the guys.
"At first, I was thinking why would a mother leave her kid in the bushes?" Glen spoke up. "I guess, considering the situation, that was actually a good thing in a way!"
"Donny," Vanesa said to the boy. "Could you come here? I'd like to introduce you to these young men. Donny, this is our son Glen and his friend Sawyer. Guys, this is Donny."
Donny instinctively moved beside Glen and Sawyer and wiggled his way between them. He looked at Glen and ask, "Are you my brother then?"
Glen ruffled Donny's hair, "Yes! I guess you could say that. You have two other brothers who are in Chicago waiting for you."
"Wow!" Donny responded. "Three brothers! I always wanted a brother."
Then, Donny looked at Sawyer, "Are you my brother's boyfriend?"
Chapter 43: We Can't Say No
Chris and I were soundly asleep with the three dogs on the foot of the bed when we felt Simon bolt from the bed and run out the bedroom door. The other two followed. Naturally, the sudden movement woke both Chris and me up.
"I think we need to see what has them up and about at 2 am," Chris whispered to me.
We threw on our jeans and grabbed a t-shirt as we went to find Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Simon. Lincoln and Roosevelt were circling the open door of Donny's room. When we walked in, we heard Donny quietly whimpering. I switched on the bedside lamp. Simon had climbed onto the bed beside our three-year-old houseguest.
Chris and I both sat on the bed. "What's wrong, Donny?" I quietly asked.
"I woke up and thought everyone had left me like my mommy did," Donny said.
"We were just in different rooms, Donny," Chris tried to console the boy.
"I didn't know where you were just like I don't know where my mommy is," Donny replied as he threw himself into Chris's arms.
"Do you want us to sit here with you until you fall asleep?" I asked.
"No! I don't want you to leave me. Can I go with you?" Donny said as tears of fear began to fall down his face.
Chris looked at me, "Do you have any suggestions?"
"He should come with us," I announced. "He needs to get some sleep before he goes to court this morning."
We both looked down at the floor. Lincoln and Roosevelt were sitting near us. They were intently staring at us. Simon was doing the same from his perch on the bed.
"I think we should get moving, then," Chris announced as he gathered Donny into his arms.
As we were coming out of Donny's room, Randy was just outside. He apparently was listening to our conversation with the boy.
"Is he calming down?" Randy asked.
"I think," Chris began to explain. "He hasn't let go of me since he threw himself at me when we sat on his bed. So, we've decided to take him to our room. He's afraid all of us will leave him."
"I must have been really asleep because I didn't hear him," Randy whispered.
"We didn't either!" I told Randy. "The dogs did."
"From the look on his face, he wants to be with you two," Randy said. "Can you go to court with us this morning? I don't think he will go with us without the two of you."
"We don't have any classes until about 2 this afternoon," I explained. "So, yes. We will go with you. I can cut my class if necessary!"
"Okay," Randy said. "I think we all need to get some rest. We have a long day ahead of us, I suspect."
When we put Donny in the middle of our bed, Chris made a suggestion, "I think we will at least need to have on a pair of boxers, don't you agree?"
"Yup!" I answered my boyfriend.
We didn't want to leave Donny in the bed alone, so I slipped off my jeans and slipped on a pair of boxers I found in my drawer. I took Chris's place while he did the same. Finally, we were all in place. Chris on one side of the bed. Me on the other. Donny in the middle. Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Simon took their usual places. We slipped off to sleep with our arms around Donny.
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We woke up around 7 am to the sound of dogs moving to the head of the bed. Each dog took a face and began to lick.
"Okay, guys! We get it! You want us to get up!" I hissed at the dogs.
Chris and I took turns relieving ourselves. Then, it was Donny's turn. He assured us he could take care of matters by himself. We heard the toilet flush, but he couldn't reach the faucet on the vanity. Chris picked him up so he could wash his hands.
"Chris, why don't you and Donny get breakfast ready," I suggested. "I can walk the dogs."
"Sounds like a plan!" Chris agreed.
When the dogs and I returned from our walk, Donny was sitting ON the kitchen island intently watching Chris as he scurried around the kitchen to get breakfast ready. Randy and Vanesa were just coming out of their room.
"Good morning!" Vanesa greeted us. "The two of you were busy last night, I hear."
"It was different," Chris told her. "But, we survived, didn't we Donny?"
"I got to sleep with Chris, Sam, and the doggies," Donny answered as Chris put a bowl of cereal with strawberries in front of him.
"Do you want to sit in a chair?" I asked Donny.
"Nope! I like it up here," Donny answered as he dug into his bowl of cereal.
We all finished out breakfasts. Donny had a bath. Chris and I showered separately. When we were all three dressed, we joined Vanesa and Randy in the kitchen.
Donny didn't understand what was happening, and he wasn't a happy child unless Chris or I held him.
When we arrived at family court, Beth Graves, the caseworker we met at the hospital, greeted us and ushered us into the courtroom. She introduced us to her supervisor.
Ms. Carmichael was all business. No smiles. No comment to Donny. She was shuffling papers.
Beth sat beside Vanesa and Randy and explained the proceedings, "Ms. Carmichael will be in charge of the court session today. I am here for morale support. The judge, The Honorable Sharon Kurtz, is an extremely empathetic person and will be a friend to Donny, especially, and to the rest of you during the proceedings today. I only have one comment. Donny seems to be extremely attached to both Sam and Chris. Guys, what is your take on his reaction to you?"
"I don't know exactly what to make of this," Chris began to explain. "Last night the dogs woke us up when they heard Donny crying in his room. He was afraid all of us had abandon him like his mother did. He wouldn't let us leave him. We finally wound up letting him sleep with us and the three dogs!"
"I hope you have a big bed," Beth said with a smile. "Do you think he will go willingly with the Mr. and Mrs. Allan?"
"If he does come with us, I suspect we will have a screaming three-year-old child in the back seat on our drive to Chicago," Vanesa offered.
When I saw three people looking at Chris and me, I panicked. "You mean you want us to take him?"
"Is that an option?" Beth asked.
"What would we do with him while we are in school?" Chris asked. He also seemed a little freaked out.
"Day care?" Beth asked. "Hire a sitter for him at your apartment? There is financial assistance if you take temporary care of a foster child."
"The last thing we need is financial assistance," Chris calmly told Beth.
"But, you must be struggling financially with college tuition and living expenses," Beth said to us. "And, from what I understand, neither of you has a job."
"Beth," Chris began to calmly explain our financial situation. "We both have trust funds that support us. Mine is right around $50 million, which pays out around $5 million a year. Most of that is reinvested. Sam's is on the order of $25 million. His pays out around $2 million a year. So, we do not need financial assistance to take care of a child. Our problem is who can take care of him while we are in school?"
"Besides," I added to the conversation. "Would the judge give custody to two gay, unmarried college students? We are engaged, but not married!"
"That could be an issue for some judges, but I think Judge Kurtz might me more amenable than most judges," Beth told us. "And, the judge will want to talk to Donny. If he, indeed, wants to stay with the two of you, the judge will ask if you are interested. What do you think?"
I nodded to Chris before he answered Beth's question. "Listen, Beth. We have three dogs because we couldn't say `no.' If he will be happier with us, then, Sam and I can't say `no' to an adorable three-year-old boy. The logistics will be tough at first, but I am certain all three of us will survive."
The court session began with the usual pomp and circumstance. Finally, the judge settled in and read a few notes before she began. "We will conduct this session of family court with a little less formality than most other court sessions. We are here today to discuss the temporary custody of Donald Pierce McBride. Ms. Carmichael, why don't you explain the situation. And, I would appreciate the short version because we have some decisions that need to be made this morning."
Ms. Carmichael rose and began to read from her notes. "Your honor. The boy, known to most as Donny, was found by a police officer police officer that was dispatched to a clump of bushes. The boy was asleep when the officer found him. He was wrapped in a blanket trying to stay warm. His mother, according to the boy, had left him to search for food for the two of them. An emergency team was dispatched who examined the boy and recommended he be taken to the hospital for further evaluation. He was suffering from hyperthermia and was hungry. He was kept in the hospital for evaluation until he was released into the custody of Mr. and Mrs. Randall Allan who are certified as foster parents in Chicago. Mr. and Mrs. Allan want to transport the boy to their home in Chicago so they can care for him until a permanent solution can be found. Thank you, your honor."
"Thank you for your brief summary, Ms. Carmichael," the judge said.
"Your honor, may I have permission to speak?" Officer Michaels asked the judge.
"Of course, Office Michaels. Please," the judge said to the officer.
"In Ms. Carmichael's attempt to be brief, I feel there are some important facts that she elected to eliminate in order to make her statement as short as possible," Officer Michaels began his explanation. "I did not find the boy in the bushes. He was actually found with the two young men sitting with Donny, Christopher Johnson and Sam Williamson. They were walking their three Border Collies who actually pulled Mr. Johnson and Mr. Williamson to the bushes where they found the boy. They called 911 and stayed with Donny until I arrived on the scene and the initial examination had been completed. The two of them and their three dogs were asked to step into the ambulance before it left for the hospital. They also visited Donny in the hospital, also with the three dogs, before his release to Mr. and Mrs. Allan. Thank you, your honor."
Judge Kurtz looked at Chris and me. She smiled, "I was wondering what role you played in this situation. Thank you Officer Michaels for clearing up that detail. Now, I would like to talk to Donny in my chambers for a few moments. Donny would you like to come and sit in my private room so I can get to know you a little better?"
"Can Sam and Chris come with me?" Donny asked the judge.
"I'm sorry, Donny," the judge continued. "We need to have a talk—just you and me."
"Donny," I said as he was tightening his grip around my neck. "Be a brave boy and go speak with the nice lady. We will be waiting here for you when the two of you finish your talk. She's very nice and won't hurt you."
"You promise not to leave me?" Donny quietly asked.
"We promise. Right, Chris?" I tell Donny.
"We won't go anywhere until you and the nice lady have finished your conversation together," Chris assured Donny.
The judge walked to us and held out her hand for Donny to take, "We will have fun! And, we won't be long. You can sit with Chris and Sam after we are finished."
Donny took the judges hand and followed her into her chambers.
We waited for about 15 minutes until the judge and Donny returned to the courtroom. Donny ran to Chris and me. He almost jumped into Chris's lap. The judge was smiling. "Now, I think we should take a short break. After we resume the session, I will need to speak with Mr. and Mrs. Allan as well as Mr. Johnson and Mr. Williamson in two separate conversations. So, please be back in 10 minutes."
We stayed in the courtroom. Donny began to play with the ring on Chris's hand until he noticed I had one exactly like Chris's. "Your rings are alike! What does that mean?"
"It means we are going to get married in the future," Chris told Donny.
Donny asked excitedly. "When?"
"We haven't set a date yet," I tell him.
"Can I come to your wedding?" Donny asked.
"Of course," Chris told him. "One thing before the judge comes back in here. At some point, Sam and I are going to need to talk to the nice lady just like you did. So, we need you to be a good boy and sit with Mr. and Mrs. Allan. Can you do that for us?"
"I promise to be good," Donny said to Chris and me. "Just don't leave without me!"
"We promise we won't leave without you, Donny," I told him.
The judge returned to the courtroom, "Now, before I speak with Mr. and Mrs. Allan, I need to speak with Ms. Carmichael. Would you approach the bench, Ms. Carmichael?"
Ms. Carmichael stood in front of the judge. They talked quietly for a few moments. "Okay, Mr. and Mrs. Allan, could you follow me to my chambers?"
Randy and Vanesa followed Judge Kurtz into her chambers. They returned to the courtroom after about 30 minutes. The court clerk asked Chris and me to follow him into the judge's chambers.
"Please be seated gentlemen," Judge Kurtz pointed to the two chairs in front of her desk. When we were seated, she began our conversation. "You young men are remarkable people in my estimation. Mr. and Mrs. Allan sang your praises during our discussion. I have a serious decision to make, and I need to know how you feel about this. I want you to be perfectly honest with me. Donny has made it perfectly clear that he wants to live—at least until they find his mommy, which we all know is not going to happen—with the two of you AND your dogs. I normally would not even consider his living with you under normal circumstances, but this is not a normal circumstance. I am certain you know he has a health issue."
"Yes, we know Donny is HIV positive," Chris answered the judge.
"And, you know how his mother died?" the judge asked.
"We were told she died of a heroin overdose," I told her.
"Did you also know that his father is serving a life sentence for murder and that both sets of his grandparents have passed away?" the judge asked.
"No! We didn't know that," Chris almost whispered.
"Now, for the hard part," Judge Kurtz continued. "Would you be willing to serve as Donny's foster parents until we can find someone who is willing to adopt him?"
"We don't want you to find someone who is willing to adopt him!" Chris told the judge. "And, yes, we are willing to be Donny's foster parents until we can do whatever is necessary to legally adopt him! Right, Sam?"
"Absolutely!" I told the judge.
"Okay!" Judge Kurtz smiled at us as she formulated her plans. "I will announce my final decision in about 10 minutes. If I decide to let you become Donny's foster parents, you will need to show the court some kind of financial ability to care for him. Is that possible?"
"Of course," Chris began. "I can let you look at the revenue my trust fund generates each month if you let me get my phone from the car. And, I know Sam can do the same thing. Together, our trust funds generate at $7 million each year if we don't touch the principal. We own the three bedroom, three bathroom condo here at school outright. We also own a four bedroom, five bathroom condo in Chicago's Lake Point Tower."
Judge Kurtz looked at the two of us and smiled again. "Why don't you take your seat in the court room and I will be out to make my decision shortly?"
We found our way to the courtroom. Donny jumped into my arms this time. We sat quietly and waited for the judge to return. As promised she took her place on the bench 10 minutes after we had left her.
"This is a highly unusual situation, so I have made a decision based on the best information I have at the moment," Judge Kurtz began. "I am awarding temporary custody of Donald Pierce McBride to Mr. Christopher Johnson and Mr. Sam Williamson with the provision that they will eventually take legal steps to formerly adopt him."
"Your honor, I object to this decision," Ms. Carmichael interrupted the judge.
"On what grounds, Ms. Carmichael?" Judge Kurtz asked.
"Christopher Johnson and Sam Williamson are two unmarried, gay college students," Ms Carmichael began. "It is my opinion that these two men, while very well respected, are not the best candidates to care for the boy. What about their financial resources? What about their school schedule? Who will care for him when these two are in classes?"
"Ms. Carmichael," Judge Kurtz began. "I have spent considerable time speaking with Donald Pierce McBride, Mr. and Mrs. Allan, and Christopher Johnson and Sam Williamson. I believe this decision is the best decision that I could make considering the troubled nature of this case. First of all, Ms. Carmichael, this is 2015 and not the dark ages. Being gay does not rule out the suitability of two people to be foster parents! Donny is very attached to the two men, Mr. Johnson and Mr. Williamson, who found him in the bushes. Their financial resources are not a question. They both have substantial income, especially for two college students. I am certain that given a few days, they will find a solution regarding their school schedule and who will care for Donny! But, I have a few minor stipulations that I am certain Mr. Johnson and Mr. Williamson will be willing to abide by. First, I believe you must seek counseling for Donny with a reputable child psychologist. I have recommendations. I want to see positive outcomes for Donny's health issues. And, I want him to see a pediatrician on a regular basis. I want Ms. Graves to supervise Donny's care. Donny seems to have formed a bond with you as well, Ms. Graves. I also want Ms. Graves to perform home visits on a regular basis for the next several months. I also want all responsible parties to meet with me again in three months. Mr. Johnson and Mr. Williamson, you will need to stop by the clerk's office next door to retrieve the paperwork necessary for Donny's placement. Congratulation!"
Judge Kurtz handed the clerk a paper and retreated to her chambers.
Chris and I looked at one another in shock. Finally, Chris pulled me and Donny in for a hug, "I guess this makes us a family!"
"I think you might be right, Mr. Johnson!" I whispered to Chris.
We were immediately inundated by congratulatory hugs, handshakes, and kisses. Ms. Carmichael was not among those who offer congratulations.
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Chris and I returned from the condo about the same time. I had taken Donny with me to the CS lab with Mr. Albertson. Donny was a hit with all of the guys and Mr. Albertson!
"So, how did class with the little one go?" Chris asked as we were circled by the dogs.
"He was a hit with everyone!" I said to Chris. I turned my attention to Donny before depositing him on the floor to get some quality time with Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Simon. "Weren't you, Donny?"
"I like going to class with you, Sam," Donny said to me. Then, he reached out for Chris to take him, "Can I go to class with you sometime?"
As Chris was holding Donny, he said, "Of course you can come to class with me! Until we have straightened out a sitter arrangement, you will be going with one or the other of us."
"Oh goodie!" Donny announced. "Can the doggies come, too?"
"I think, Donny, that might be a bit much for most of our instructors," I told Donny. "The dogs like their time alone, I think. That way, they will be rested when we return."
Donny wiggled his way down to the floor to play with the doggies!
"I think we need to make a few phone calls to our respective families," Chris announced as we watched Donny play. "Then, the six of us can go for a walk. I think we will need to go in a different direction, however. We don't want to take Donny back to where we found him."
"You are very wise, Christopher!" I told Chris as I kissed his nose. "Who goes first?"
"Why don't you call your parents first?" Chris suggested. "I want to see how you handle this. It will give me ideas when I call my family!"
"Coward!" I said as I smiled at him. I pulled out my phone and turned it on speaker phone. My mother answered, "Sam! What a surprise!"
"Hi, Mom!" I began the conversation. "Chris and I have some news for you. Is Dad there?"
"I'm right here, Sam," my father announced. "What's up?"
"Well, an interesting thing happened to us this morning," I started. "But, I guess I need to get you caught up with some of the previous events over the weekend."
"I hope this is good news, Sam," my mother said.
"Oh! Definitely!" I tell them. "The breeder who let us adopt Lincoln and Roosevelt called us for help. It seems Lincoln and Roosevelt's two-year-old brother needed a home because the people who had him needed to go into assisted living and they couldn't take the dog with them."
My father interrupted, "So, you now have three dogs! Am I right?"
"That would be correct, Dad!" I said. "But, that's not the real news we have. Chris and I were out walking the dogs on Saturday morning. When we were near the corner of the block the three of them began pulling at their leashes. They pulled us to a clump of bushes. Simon—that's Lincoln and Roosevelt's brother—went into the bushes. He found a sleeping boy wrapped in a blanket. The boy was cold, but he was breathing. So, we called 911. Simon nudged the boy and he woke up. At first, he was scared, but Chris and I started talking to him while we waited for the police and EMT crew to arrive. His name was Donny. We later found out he's three. His mother left him in the bushes the previous afternoon to go find food for them."
"Why would a mother leave her son in the bushes? It's cold out! He could have died!" my mother interrupted my story.
"There is more, Mom!" I regained control of the discussion. "The EMT crew took Donny to the hospital. They discovered he had a health issue to boot. His mother was found dead in the back of a restaurant. She died from an overdose of heroin."
"Oh! Jesus!" My mother exclaimed.
I continued the story to the point we went to court with Mr. and Mrs. Allan and Donny.
"Sam," my father interrupted me again. "Are you trying to tell your mother and me that you and Chris are foster parents for this boy?"
"That would be correct, Dad," I said in a quiet voice. I looked at Chris expecting an explosion from one or both of my parents.
"Sam, Chris," my mother began. "We are so proud of you for taking this boy in! I just hope you are prepared for a big letdown if someone comes along to adopt him."
"We agreed to be his foster parents on the basis that, at some point, we would have an opportunity to adopt him," I told my parents.
"That would mean Donny is our first grandson!" my father exclaimed.
"That is the plan, Dad! What do you think?" I asked my parents.
"When do we get to meet him?" my mother asked.
Chris finally spoke up, "Do you want to come up this weekend? He's still getting used to us and the condo. We don't want to confuse him."
"We could come up for the day on Saturday," my mother suggested.
"Or, you could plan on staying until Sunday," I offered. "You will find that Donny is a little habit forming! Donny! Why don't you come over here and say hello to my parents."
Donny hopped up on my lap, "Hello! I'm Donny!"
The three of them talked for a few moments. Donny paused for a moment, "Can I ask a question?"
"Sure," my mother agreed.
"Are you my grandma and grandpa?" Donny asked.
There was a pause. I decided to take it from here. "Yes, Donny, they are your grandma and grandpa. Right?"
"Absolutely!" my mother announced. "We are going to visit the three of you this coming weekend!"
"Goodie!" Donny announced. "I never had a grandpa or grandma before!"
We talked a few more minutes. "Mom, Dad!" I decided to end the call. "We need to still call Chris's family. So, we'll see you in a few days!"
"We are excited, to say the least," my mother announced. "Oh! Do you need help while you are at school?"
"We can manage," I told them. "I took Donny to my only class today. He was a big hit. Until we find a permanent solution, he will be going with one of us to our classes."
After saying our goodbyes, we ended the call.
"That went well," I said to Chris.
"Yes, it did!" Chris agreed. "I hope the discussion with my family goes as well!"
The discussion with Chris's mother and grandparents did indeed go well.
After our talks with family, Donny decided he wanted to sit on Chris's lap. We discovered he needed to ask a clarifying question. "Are you my daddies now?"
I looked at Chris and he looked at me. Chris took the lead, "We are your daddies if you want us to be!"
"Goodie!" Donny answered.
"We need to take the dogs for a walk, Donny!" Chris finally decided. "And Sam! I guess we will need to do a quick shopping trip! He will need something to wear tomorrow!"
We walked the dogs, and then we headed to Macy's to buy a few things for Donny. When we returned, we had five pairs of slacks, several shirts, nine pairs of socks, a pair of shoes, mittens, a warm jacket, and underwear. We also threw in two pairs of pajamas.
After we ate dinner, we gave Donny a bath and dressed him in his pajamas.
"I think he is tired," Chris said as we watched him playing on the floor with the dogs.
"He's not the only one, Chris!" I told my boyfriend. "This has been one long, but happy, day!"
Simon followed us into the office where we decided Donny would stay until we were able to refurnish the room. As we were tucking Donny into bed, he decided to ask another question. "You won't leave me tonight, will you?"
"Nope!" I answered. "You know where our bedroom is now! Good night Donny! We love you!"
"I love you too, daddies," a tired Donny said as Chris and I kissed him good night.
Simon was still sitting on the floor looking at Chris and me and then at Donny.
"Do you want to stay with him, Simon?" Chris asked. Simon immediately jumped on the foot of the sofa bed and curled up near Donny. We left them to get some rest.
As we were heading to our room, Lincoln and Roosevelt followed us. Chris made his announcement, "I think Simon has decided to guard Donny! That means we are back down to two dogs on our bed at night!"
"Chris!" I said as I looked at him with my squinty eyes. "We do not—I repeat—do not need another dog!"
"Did I say anything about getting another dog?" Chris asked in defiance of my statement.
"No, but I know that look!" I admonished Chris. "We have three dogs and one boy living with us. That is more than enough for the time being!"
To be continued...
I hope you liked the direction that `Sam and Chris' is taking. I've heard from many people and would like to hear from even more.
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John's Journey Forward in the `Beginnings' section
Jeffery Comes Home in the `Beginnings' section
Life With Tim in the authoritarian section (Please note, this story is not for everyone because there are several scenes depicting Master/slave and BDSM relationships. So, if you are not interested in this activity, please, please do not read this story.)
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