Warning:
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This story contains descriptions of love and sexual fulfillment between people of the same gender. If possessing or reading this kind of material is illegal where you live, please leave this site at once.
My previous stories may be quickly accessed by searching for my name under the "Prolific Net Authors" heading. You may write to me at dlee169@hotmail.com. I'll do my best to answer promptly. Please put the title of this story in the "subject" line when you email. For the full disclaimer and additional info, please read the statement that precedes Chapter 1.
Second Chance, Ch. 8
Josh called Eric around 8:00 Tuesday night to wish him luck, telling him that he was praying for a good outcome. The two talked for over an hour before Ben said that it was his turn to visit with Scott.
Ben promised that he and Josh would fly down to offer support and advice if there happened to be a problem. He knew Iowa custody regulations well since he had received his law degree from the university there. He also had a good friend who practiced law in Iowa whom he could persuade to get involved on short notice if need be.
Eric didn't get as much sleep as he would have liked. Scott didn't either. Both were anxious about what Wednesday would bring. It seemed like a foregone conclusion that the judge would grant Scott custody of his son since the teen wanted to live with him, but there was always a chance that something could go wrong.
Wednesday dawned cloudy with a distinct threat of rain. Eric hoped that the gloomy weather wasn't a harbinger of things to come at the courthouse.
He showered thoroughly, avoiding the desire to pleasure himself. His body was almost always ready to indulge, but his heart wasn't in it on that morning. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so jittery.
After dressing in a sharp-looking Henley and khakis, Eric attempted to eat breakfast. He gave up halfway through his bowl of cereal because his stomach had tightened up so much that he was afraid of puking.
Scott settled for a cup of coffee and a piece of dry toast. His stomach was equally unsettled.
Father and son headed off toward the meeting with little more joy than prisoners heading for the guillotine during the French Revolution. They could hardly breathe as they rode up the elevator to a tiny courtroom set aside for hearing small legal matters.
Present with the judge were the court reporter and a witness. Both of them seemed to blend with the furniture because they were not the ones who would make the decision.
Judge Paxton had a grave, but kindly face. He seemed almost like a grandfather. His demeanor quickly put Eric at ease. Scott was not so relaxed because he remembered how things had gone when he lost the custody battle with Tina several years ago before this very man.
"Well, young man, it has come to my attention that you wish to live with your father and that you want me to award him full custody of you until you reach majority age."
"Yes sir. I hope he'll want me to keep me even after I turn 18," Eric responded innocently.
The judge smiled in spite of himself.
"Yes, well tell me why you want to do this at this point in your life. You must know that you may have to change your standard of living if you don't stay with your mother since I understand that her income is quite high. Of course your father would have more money to provide for your needs if he didn't have to pay child support to her."
"Your Honor, I have spent a week with Dad in the wilderness along with another father and son. We functioned as a team camping rough and fishing for part of our food. I'm not saying that I've suddenly become a man, but I did grow up a lot in the past week."
"Away from all of the electronics and other stuff that I thought were the most important things in my life, I came to know the father that I haven't been allowed to know for nearly five years. He's not anything like my mother said he was. He might not be able to give me as many material things as my mother has, but he makes up for it in other ways. He takes an interest in what I'm doing and he cares enough to push me to do things that I didn't think I could do. He loves me. When I make you own way in life, I want to be the kind of man he is."
Judge Paxton had not been accustomed to hearing that kind of eloquent, rational, heart-felt plea from a teenager. He thought about his son and grandson and how they would feel in that situation. Eric had gotten to him.
"What kind of visitation rights would you want your mother to have?" the judge continued.
"When I talked to her last Saturday, she made it quite clear that she doesn't care to see me again if I cast my lot with my father. I have a recording of that part of her conversation if you would like to hear it."
"Okay, if you'll make yourselves comfortable, I'll take this to my chambers and listen to it. My colleagues here are discreet, but I imagine that you don't want to go through the pain of hearing it again if she said what you claim she did."
Scott and Eric couldn't sit still as they waited. They walked over to the window and looked out at the city below. Eric was wondering what the people passing by were worrying about. They were going about their lives having no idea that he existed or that his future rested in the hands of someone else. They couldn't know how helpless he felt. They couldn't imagine what he was going through.
But Eric smiled when he felt his father's arm on his shoulder. It made him realize that he was not alone in this. His dad would stand by him figuratively and literally. Together they would face whatever happened.
Scott and Eric were both startled by the sound of the door closing. They hadn't heard Judge Paxton come back into the room.
"Please come back, sit down and relax; this is not a trial. I have taken into consideration your desires and the evidence that you've presented in this recording. It is the decision of this court that you will remain in the custody of your father for the next two years – and longer as you both wish."
He signed the custody order and affixed his seal to it. Now the paperwork was complete. There seemed to be nothing that Tina could do to change it even if she became spiteful and appealed the decision.
Judge Paxton was certain that he was not making a mistake when Eric hugged his father and turned back with tears of joy in his eyes. Remembering his manners, Eric offered a firm handshake and thanked the judge. Scott followed suit. Then, father and son hugged again for several seconds.
On the way out of the courthouse, Eric flipped his cell open and said: "Call Josh." His phone responded and began the call. The boys expressed their elation at the proceedings. They ended by saying: "I love you!"
"How about stopping for a late breakfast at IHOP, son? I'm famished!"
"Me too. I love you, Dad!"
Now that it was official, father and son made plans to go to Illinois to pick up Eric's things. Even though gasoline was expensive, the most practical way to go about it was to rent a van and drive the 200 miles. Then they could continue to Minnesota and finally head back to Iowa.
In addition to the van, Scott arranged for a device that would tow Eric's car with the driving wheels off of the ground. Towing Eric's car meant that they could ride together and not spend gas money to drive the second vehicle. Of course, towing would decrease the van's mileage, but not by that much.
Their plan was to leave for Tina's house early on Friday morning and pack as quickly as possible. They would then head north toward St. Paul, staying overnight somewhere in Wisconsin if it got too late. Eric could spend the weekend getting settled. On Monday, they would drive the rental vehicle back to Iowa bringing Josh with them. Scott and the two boys would spend the following week cleaning, painting, and generally gussying up the house so that it could be shown.
As they had assumed, Tina was not at home to welcome them. Eric was ready to unlock the door with his key when it swung open. A neighbor, Alma, greeted them.
"Your mother said some hateful things about your decision to leave, but I'm not paying attention to them. I'll miss you, young man!"
"Alma, this is my Dad, Scott. Dad this is Alma Stern, a great lady and friend."
The two adults shook hands, but Eric hugged Alma and thanked her for sticking by him. Then he and Scott brought boxes from the van and went into his room to begin packing.
They worked rapidly, but carefully. Scott placed any breakable items between layers of clothing. Alma used a large marker to label each box with a list of its contents.
"I'm supposed to be here to make sure you don't take anything extra, which I know you wouldn't do. So, I might as well be of some real use!" Alma chuckled. "I know you're trustworthy."
Eric went down to the basement to retrieve a couple of things he had nearly forgotten. He had a few tools that had belonged to Scott and he had three Playboy magazines hidden above the acoustical ceiling panels in the bathroom down there. He didn't care that much about them anymore, but he didn't want Tony to find them when he moved in. Let him get his own jack-off material!
Finally, Eric got his shiny Mitsubishi Eclipse convertible out of the third garage stall. His dad whistled.
"I've only seen your car in photos. This is a beauty! Now I'm jealous."
"Here's the keys," Eric offered. "It's nearly noon, so you can drive Alma and me to a great little Greek place I know of and have the best gyros you've ever eaten. Then we can hook it up to the van and get on our way."
Alma's protests about going to lunch were made mostly for the sake of politeness. She really wanted to have a last meal with the young man who had "adopted" her after his grandmother died - often doing chores like changing light bulbs that she couldn't reach and clearing her walk on snowy mornings.
Eric opened the car door for her and then catapulted neatly over the side and into the back seat. The two adult laughed at his display of typical teenage behavior following so closely after his demonstration of proper manners.
Father and son were well over halfway to the Twin Cities when they stopped for their evening meal. Since they weren't particularly tired, they decided to drive a while longer before looking for lodging.
An hour later, Eric's cell phone rang.
"Hello. Yeah, we're still driving. Oh, I'm guessing about three hours – maybe less. Okay, let me ask."
"Josh and Ben want to know if you feel good enough to drive on to their place tonight. It sounds like they're both eager to see us."
"Tell Josh we'll do it and then ask him to let me talk to Ben."
The boys talked for another minute before handing over their phones to their dads. From what Eric could gather hearing Scott's responses, Ben had evidently made some suggestive remark about sleeping "harder" if Scott was in his bed.
When the boys got their phones back, they giggled about "horny" old men.
To say that Eric and Scott received a warm welcome would be the understatement of the year. Both were hugged and kissed the minute they stepped down from the vehicle.
Next, Josh admired Eric's hot convertible. Eric assured him that he was going to be driving it too.
Ben ushered them through the back door and set about making popcorn for a late-night snack. He and Scott split a beer and the boys split a Coke. It wasn't that there was any lack of liquid refreshments, but no one wanted to have to get up in the night. They didn't sit up any later because both of the fathers and their sons were eager to crawl in bed to snuggle with their lovers. In their haste, they left the bowls and glasses on the kitchen table until morning.
Eric was beat, but he didn't want to go to bed sweaty – especially when he wasn't sleeping alone. He and Josh took a quick shower together in the bathroom just down the hall.
They tumbled into Josh's bed naked. Josh spooned up behind Eric and they both fell asleep in the matter of a few minutes.
In the master bath, Ben and Scott also shared a shower.
"I'll bet you're too tired." Ben smiled.
"Too tired for what?"
"You know!"
"Say it."
"I'll bet you're too tired to fuck me silly." Ben grinned.
"Not a chance! Got some lube?"
"Duh!"
The first thing that the boys did in the morning, after making a quick stop in the bathroom, was to go up to Josh's studio because Josh could wait no longer to get Eric's reaction to his masterpiece. Josh had wanted to surprise Eric with the painting the night before, but felt that Eric was too tired to stay up any later.
It was probably best that he had waited until morning because the light was better, and had Eric seen it the night before, he would have been too excited to settle down to sleep.
Josh seated Eric in an old lounge chair and then got out his pastel and placed it on an easel about six feet away. Eric jumped up looking from the painting to Josh's expectant face.
"Oh God! That's so beautiful!!! I love it."
"It's because of the subject matter," Josh grinned. "How could I miss? I did it as a present for you."
"Wow! It's too awesome to give away; you could sell that for big money."
"I don't want to sell it because it's you. I may use you as a model again for something that I'd sell to a stranger, but I'd make it less like you. I feel like I've almost captured your soul in this one."
"You've definitely done that, but I'm not nearly that hot looking."
"Oh yeah you are. You're even better than that."
The two boys held each other in a tight embrace. Each could sense the other's rising libido through the thin underwear that was their only attire.
They settled down on the thick area rug that lay nearby. Their kissing increased in urgency as it continued. Soon they graduated to nibbling and licking.
"Let me suck you," Josh requested in a voice thick with desire.
"Remember my motto: `Only if I get to do the same to you,'" Eric grinned.
Presently, it got quiet in the room except for the sounds of sucking and moaning. All of the pent-up desire from the past week was welling up ready to spill over. And spill it did! They cleaned up their faces and the carpet with paper towels as well as they could. Josh giggled about leaving "memory marks" on the carpet. Cuddling in the afterglow, they nearly went back to sleep.
After a quick shower, the boys got dressed and went downstairs. Eric insisted that everyone go to Josh's studio before they ate. Scott was certain that it must be important. In the past couple of weeks he had figured out that Eric was not one to let anything trivial stand in the way of food.
Scott and Ben were as blown away by Josh's portrait of Eric as he had been, although they didn't reward him in the same way.
"Have it appraised and I'll pay the price plus another five hundred when the house is sold," Scott declared. "I have to buy that for Eric."
"I'm afraid you're too late," Josh grinned. "He already owns it. I couldn't let anyone else have it."
"Son, you're really, really good!" Ben exclaimed. "I had no idea that your talent had developed this much since I last looked at your work. Mr. Hadley, one of my clients, owns a gallery downtown. With your permission, I'd like to have him give us an honest opinion of your paintings. I know he'll go ape over this one, and these new landscapes of the boundary waters would sell on the tourist market at the very least. I think you have real talent. Of course I'm biased."
"I'm coming with a more impartial outlook and I think he's awesome!" Scott said. "He's captured more of Eric than just his physical appearance. There is a feeling of his spirit too!"
Eric and Josh just smiled.
The first thing they did after breakfast was to carry the boxes of Eric's possessions up to his bedroom. But, they didn't unpack them. The pool at the country club was reserved for lap-swimming until noon and the boys wanted to get in some practice.
When they came home, they were starved of course. Ben teased them about eating like Hobbits. Well, it was time for lunch and they hadn't had elevensies.
Immediately after lunch, the boys worked industriously to get Eric settled in. They didn't rest until they had found a place for everything and had everything in its place.
Next, Josh drove Eric over to the school to set up an appointment in the counseling office to get his schedule started. Josh had received his in the spring and was going to do his best to get Eric into the same classes if possible.
Josh gave Eric a quick tour of the main part of the school so that he'd feel more at home when classes began. Then, they headed to the mall with color samples, measurements, and credit cards to find curtains and bedcovers. There were plenty to choose from because it was getting close to the time when college students would begin shopping for their rooms. Of course, most of them would be buying things for smaller beds.
Ben and Scott were preparing dinner by the time Josh pulled into the drive behind the wheel of Eric's convertible. He was grinning from ear to ear because some of his schoolmates had seen him driving it and he knew that they would be green with envy.
On Sunday afternoon, Ben was sad to see his lover and both boys departing. He had spent time on his own before when Josh was away at camp and he'd always missed his son like he would miss his right arm. He had used some of those times to go cruising. Now he wouldn't be out looking for a sexual encounter, so he'd be completely alone. But the upside of his loneliness was that with Josh's help, Scott's house would be ready to sell in a shorter time. That would get his lover back to him more quickly as well.
Scott didn't mind the long trip even though he was the only one who could legally drive the rental. The boys took turns riding shotgun for the first part of the trip, but both sat in back together during the second half. Actually, they spent much of it lying across the seat cuddling. They were discreet, but Scott assumed that they probably had their hands in each other's pants at some point. He and Ben certainly would have.
Scott assigned the guys jobs on Monday morning and was pleased to see that both of them pitched in eagerly. Eric was still waking up in a pleasant state of mind. Scott was now certain that this welcome change was permanent.
Over the course of the next several days, Scott's house was transformed into a showplace. When the realtor came to appraise it later in the week, she assured Scott that it would go for more than he had been indicated he would accept.
"We'll have people vying for a chance to buy this place. It's in `move-in' condition. They won't have to do anything. You could hire out as a consultant for people who are trying to sell their places. You've done everything right!"
Scott and the boys had made the place ship-shape in a week's time. The main rooms had fresh coats of paint and all of the carpets had been cleaned. Scott had pared down the furnishings so that the place looked more spacious. He had packed a lot of his clothing into boxes in the garage to make the closets look bigger. Even the eave troughs had been sprayed with a fresh coat of white enamel. Nothing had been overlooked.
Author's notes: As always, I really need to thank Tom H and David S who faithfully edit for me. They hunt for typos, make suggestions, and put up with me when I try to pull rank on them!
Also, thanks to you who wrote since last posting: Tom A, Chea, Tim De, Baruch, Ricky S, Gary Mc, Greg, Tony W, Paul L, Jim We, Jim C, Roger P, James, Mike D, Mel K, Paul R, and Rad. Your encouragement keeps me writing. Thanks!