DISCLAIMER: I don't fucking care how old you are. If you like the idea of two hunky young Marine's getting it on with each other then read on!
By the way, no Marine's were injured or killed in the writing of this story but that's not true of what's going on in the Middle East or other foreign places. I would ask your prayers, good thoughts or whatever for all the Marines serving our country (that's us guys!) around the world.
This is dedicated to every one who has ever served in the USMC - Semper Fi!
SUBIC SURRENDER - Part 25 MICHAEL'S STORY - Part 10 by RimPig 2003
We lay there, kissing each other deeply and slowly removing each other's clothes. Not that there was a lot to remove. The tops unbuttoned, the drawstring pants untied, the sandals kicked off and there was nothing left but small 'swimmer' jocks. Neither Matt or I like underwear and never wore it. But jockstraps did get our juices flowing so, whenever we needed support or in the rare event we wore something other than jeans, these small jocks were, to us, the perfect article of clothing to wear because once we took our clothes off, the sight of our jock covered crotches was highly erotic.
Matt went to remove his jock but I stopped him. "Leave it on for a while." I said softly. Matt looked at me and then grinned at me. I could see the amusement in his eyes. He knew what I wanted to do. These jocks were the same ones that we wore to the gym to work out and that we very rarely washed. He knew that I was intending to feast on the smells and tastes of mesh fabric covering his hard cock.
"Okay, but you do the same for me." he said breathlessly.
"You got it, babe." I murmured.
He rolled me over and got on top of me. He leaned down to kiss me and his long, golden hair fell down around our faces like a curtain. I reached up and began running my fingers through it as we kissed and rubbed our jock-covered groins against each other, moaning as we did. Matt pulled his face up from mine while my hands still tangled in his hair.
"There are times, I almost think you married me for my hair." he grinned. "Now that we're married, I'm thinking of cutting it short, like yours."
"I want a divorce!" I said, grinning back at him.
"We haven't fucked yet, it would be an annulment." Matt giggled.
"Well, let me fuck you and then we can get a divorce." I said.
"You haven't even eaten my butt yet." Matt giggled again.
"Okay, let's play 'Carnival'." I said.
"How do you play that?" he asked, looking at me quizzically.
"You sit on my face and I guess your weight!" I grinned.
Matt started laughing and so did I. His laugh is very infectious and we were both in very playful moods as it was. The happiness I was feeling from finally being married to Matt was like a strong drug rushing through my system. I was so 'high' and I never wanted to 'come down'.
Matt moved up the bed and I slid down some. He stood over me and then slowly squatted down until his ass was just inches from my face. I raised my head up slightly and began to breathe deeply of his scent. The scent of his butt was definitely 'assy'. It was musky and sweaty and it made my cock harder and to leak pre-cum. I grabbed hold of his hips and pulled his ass down so that my face was buried in his trench. I was breathing so deeply I was afraid I'd start hyperventilating soon so I began swiping my tongue through the crease of his ass, tasting his musk and moaning into his butt.
"Oh, fuck, yeah! Eat my ass! Eat my fuckin' butt! Come on! Get your tongue up in my hole and ream me out!" Matt moaned as he ground his ass down harder onto my face.
I complied with his request, shoving my tongue as far up his hole as I could reach and then rapidly moving it in and out, tongue-fucking his hole as he rode my tongue and moaned. I love the feeling of his ass sliding up and down my eager tongue and the dark taste of his hole. I knew I could lie there, his ass on my face, for hours. I didn't know, however, how long his legs would hold out.
As he rode my face, I felt him lean down and begins stroking my hard cock, squeezing the head with his fingers and gathering up all the pre-cum that was belching out of my piss-slit. I then heard him moaning and licking so I figured that he had gathered it up on his fingers to taste. I knew that Matt loved the taste of my pre-cum as much as I loved the taste of his.
Finally, Matt stood up completely and looked down at me, my face covered in sweat, saliva and his ass juices and my tongue hanging out like a hungry dog.
"I can't take anymore! I gotta have your fuckin' cock in my butt!" he said.
"So sit the fuck down and ride me!" I said, grinning up at him.
I knew that this was one of Matt's favorite positions to get fucked in. I guess part of it was that he was getting fucked, which he loved and it gave him the feeling of being in control, which he loved, too. I reached over to the night stand and pulled out a bottle of lube which was still in it. I slathered it on my cock and then reached up and began running my fingers in and out of Matt's eager hole, lubing him up as well. He quickly put is feet on both sides of my hips, facing me and squatted down until the head of my cock was just kissing the lips of his ass.
Matt grinned at me and then began sliding slowly down my cock, his ass opening easily and swallowing all of me without stopping. I groaned as my cock slid into his hot wet hole and my hips involuntarily pushed up, driving my cock as far up his butt as I could get it. Matt immediately started riding my cock, moving up and down, driving my cock into his hole harder and faster with each downward drop.
"Ahh, yeah! Fuckin' ride my cock! Yeah! Jam my cock up your ass!" I moaned as I pushed up with my hips, burying my bone further up his chute.
Matt continued to ride me for a few more minutes and then he stopped, sitting on my groin, my cock buried inside him, he looked deep into my eyes.
"Let's roll over. I want you to fuck me and fuck me HARD!" he said.
We rolled over until I was on top of him and his legs were over my shoulders without my cock leaving his hole. I started thrusting hard, in and out of his hole but, looking down at him, something started to move inside of me. This wasn't what I wanted. I slipped his legs from my shoulders and put them around my waist as I bent forward and landed on my elbows. His arms went around my neck and I began kissing him deeply as my cock began driving in and out of his hole again. He moaned into my mouth as my cock clipped his prostate with each plunge.
"I love you! I love you more now than I ever have!" I swore to him, looking down into his bright, shining blue eyes.
"I'm yours. Forever." he moaned, grabbing my head and pulling my lips back down to his.
As I continued to pump in and out of his butt, I suddenly felt him stiffen and his moans because almost piteous cries and I felt his cock begin spraying both of us with his white, hot cum. His chute clamped down on my cock as he unloaded and I moaned as my orgasm came crashing down on me and I shot my load deep into his hungry hole. His ass continued to milk my cock until I collapsed on him, sweaty and sated. His hands were stroking my body and my face was buried in his long golden hair that spread out on the pillow.
We said nothing for the longest time. What was there to say? This joining was as solemn and as sacred to us as the wedding had been. This is what truly joined us - this becoming one with each other's body. Even the words of the wedding ceremony acknowledged this - "...whom you have made one flesh in Holy Matrimony." had been the words which Father Gray had said. We were that now, lying here in each other's arms, my body one with his. I wanted to stay like that forever, but you cannot.
Eventually, my cock softened and slid from his body. I did not eat my load from him this time. I wanted it to remain inside him - a part of me, deep inside his body. A claim to say - this is mine! Now and forever! I rolled off him and then pulled him to me. He rested his head on my arm as his arm wrapped around me and his face was pushed into my chest. I could hear his breathing as he breathed in my scent. I leaned my head forward and pushed my nose into his long, golden hair and breathed in the scent of my married partner for life. I knew a peace and a happiness which I realized I had only previously glimpsed.
The next few years were a blur of working, living, loving and playing. Our desire for each other never waned and we continued to spend time each day making each other happy. We spent time with our family and our friends. We went to the double wedding of Josh's Dad and Scott and Josh and Vince. I was surprised to see members of Vince's family there. Three of his brothers including the one that was a priest. In fact, what was especially interesting about it was, that when it came time for the vows, Father Gray led Josh's Dad and Scott through theirs and then invited Vince's brother to come and lead Vince and Josh through theirs. Vince's brother hesitated for a moment, and then walked forward, hugged his brother and Josh and led them through their vows. He and Father Gray completed the rest of the wedding together and blessed both couples.
I heard Vince's brother tell Father Gray later, that if his bishop ever found out what he'd done, he'd probably be thrown out of the church. Father Gray said that, if that happened, there were always other churches that would take him in. Vince's parents, of course, didn't come. Vince later told me that one of his brothers gave him a message from his mother. He said that she wanted to come but Vince's father had forbid it. He also told us that Vince's father had told her that she was never to mention Vince's name again - that as far as his father was concerned, Vince was dead.
I could see how this hurt Vince but his brother who was a priest took Vince and Josh aside and talked to them for a long time. At one point I saw Vince crying on his brother shoulder but after a while they were all smiling and laughing with one another.
An interesting side-light to this story was that two years later, Vince's mother left his father and got a divorce. She moved in with Vince and Josh at their insistence. Gradually, Vince told me, none of his brothers would have anything to do with his father who evidently had been a heavy drinker and verbally abusive when he was drunk. Within a year of Vince's mother divorcing him, he literally drank himself to death. I wonder how Vince's Dad would have felt knowing that all his sons - Vince included - attended his funeral and acted as pall-bearers? All accept for his one son who was a priest. He said the funeral mass for his father.
We also flew to California to finally attend Steve and Bart's wedding which they held off on until they were finished with college. What we found was a very different Steve and Bart. After college, they had moved to West Hollywood - probably the gayest city in the US. They had immersed themselves in the Gay culture and now had a whole slew of Gay friends who came to celebrate their nuptials. The ceremony was held in a large restaurant and bar and we all had a great time dancing at the reception. This is something that Matt and I didn't do very often. We were not into the 'bar scene' at home so it was a rare opportunity to get on the dance floor with him.
At the reception, Steve and Bart took the microphone and introduced us to all their friends as the couple who saved their relationship and helped them to see that they were meant for each other. Matt and I were embarrassed by all the attention that everyone payed to us but there was one guy, a graduate student named Frank who was especially interested in us. He was getting his doctorate degree in psychology and was doing his thesis on gay couples. He asked if he could interview us before we flew home and we agreed.
Frank came to our hotel room the next day with a list of questions to ask us and a tape recorder. We sat down with him for a couple of hours. He was especially interested in the fact that we were still faithful to each other after so many years together.
"But you guys have been together since you were twelve! You're now what?" he asked.
"We're twenty-four." I said.
"And in all this time, you've never wanted anybody else?" he asked, the shock showing in his voice.
"I can't speak for Michael, but no. I've never wanted anybody else but him." Matt said.
"Me either." I answered. "Why would I?"
"Well, most guys like variety in their sex life." Frank answered.
"But I have variety! I have Matt in the morning when he's just waking up and he looks so damned cute with his eyes half-opened and a sleepy smile on his face. I have Matt in the afternoon when his all sweaty and pumped from being out on a job site somewhere lending a hand to the guys. And I have Matt at night, his eyes so sultry and hot, looking at me like a wolf looks at a fresh- killed stag! What more variety could I want?" I laughed.
"And I take it you feel the same way?" Frank asked Matt.
"Yes. Exactly the same way." Matt smiled and kissed me gently on the neck.
"And you've both known this since you were twelve?" Frank asked.
"Since the moment our eyes first locked on each other." I said with Matt nodding in agreement.
"Well...I have to tell you guys. You are the most unique couple I've interviewed so far and I've interviewed over a thousand on this project. If this really works for you two, you are the luckiest two guys I've ever met." Frank said.
"Thank you." Matt told him. "We think we are, too."
"So is there anything that's missing from your relationship? Something you want that you don't have?" he asked.
Matt and I looked at each other and Matt nodded to me.
"Yes. There's one thing. It's been a dream of ours, for a long time now, to have a son. But we haven't been able to work that out." I said. "Florida doesn't allow Gays to adopt children."
"What the fuck kind of red-neck place is it?!" Frank exclaimed. "That's the most asinine thing I've ever heard of!"
"Red-neck is the word. Most Gay guys think of Florida as Ft. Lauderdale, South Beach and Key West. But that's all 'South' Florida. The rest of the state, especially anywhere north of Orlando is really red-neck country. More like south Georgia or eastern Alabama." I said.
"Well, I'm not completely sure, but I may be able to help you guys out." Frank said.
"How?" I asked, looking at Matt and seeing the excitement I was feeling mirrored in his face.
"My lover, Barry, works for a foster care agency. There are a number of kids that are available for adoption that just don't have people willing to take them. Most are not 'babies' and that's, unfortunately, what most people willing to adopt want." Frank said.
"But we don't want a baby." I said. "We told you that each of us was raised with two Dads. Matt's Dad didn't get full custody of him until he was twelve and my Dads adopted me when I was five. We're more than willing to take a kid that between those ages. But we're not residents of California."
"That isn't always necessary. How long are you guys going to be in town?" he asked.
"Two more days. We want to go to Disneyland before we leave." I said.
"Okay, I'll talk to Barry tonight and call you." Frank said.
"That would be fine." Matt informed him.
Frank left after that and Matt turned to me.
"Now don't go getting your hopes up. I don't want to have to deal with you 'crashing' on me if there's nothing that can work out. Okay?" he asked.
"Okay." I said, already feeling somewhat despondent. "I know probably nothing's going to happen. But it would be great if it did, wouldn't it?"
He looked at me and then walked over to where I was sitting. He leaned down and kissed me on the forehead.
"Yeah, babe. It would be wonderful." he smiled.
We went out to eat that night and when we got back to the hotel room, the phone's message light was flashing. It was Frank. He'd talked to his lover and wanted us to call him. It was almost 10 o'clock but I put through the call, hoping that they'd still be up. Within three rings, Frank was on the line.
"Look." he said, "No promises, but Barry says that there's this little boy. He's almost five. Nobody will adopt him because he has psychological problems."
"What kind of problems?" I asked.
"He can't talk. Well, he could talk but he's got some kind of hysterical paralysis of the vocal chords or something. His mother was a hooker and was murdered right in front of him when he was three. He hasn't been able to say a word since. I don't know if you guys would be interested or not, but Barry said the state would love to get him adopted out because then they wouldn't have to pay for therapy for him, if you get my drift." Frank said.
"Hold on a second, Frank." I said cupping my hand over the speaker of the phone receiver.
I quickly told Matt what Frank had said. I told him that it was up to him, I didn't care that the boy couldn't talk and we could afford to get the best therapy for him at home. Matt grinned at me.
"Of course we want him! Ask Frank what we have to do." he said, and I could hear the same excitement in his voice as there was in mine.
I uncovered the phone and talked to Frank again.
"Frank, we want him." I said. "What do we have to do?"
"Well...could you meet Barry and I tomorrow morning at his office?" Frank asked.
"Just give us the time and place and we'll be there." I said.
Frank gave me the address and said that Barry and he would meet us there at 9 am.
I don't think Matt and I got much sleep that night. The excitement of the possibility of finally finding a son was too much for us. Try as we did, because neither one of us wanted to be disappointed, we just couldn't stop talking about all the dreams we had of what a family we would have with a little boy. All the places we could take him. All the things that we could do with him. The love that our whole family - out Dads and Grandparents - would give him.
I guess we finally fell asleep. At any rate, the 7 a.m. wake-up call I'd left came and we dragged ourselves out of bed and into the shower. It was probably the only morning since we'd started living together that we didn't have sex either in bed or in the shower. Both of us were too intent on getting to the appointment. We stopped in the hotel coffee-shop and had breakfast and then grabbed a cab, giving the address of Frank's lover's Barry's office. We were there by quarter to nine. Frank was already there and took us upstairs and through a warren of cubicles until he took us into one of the few private offices on the floor. The guy behind the desk rose and greeted us.
"Hi, I'm Barry. And you must be Michael and Matt." he said, shaking both our hands.
"Yes. We're glad to meet you." I said.
"So let's sit down and talk." Barry said.
We sat in chairs around Barry's desk.
"So you guys are interested in little Brian." Barry said.
"Is that his name? Frank hadn't told us." Matt said.
"Yes. It's Brian. He's been in foster care for two years now, ever since his mother was killed. I have to be honest with you, there's more going on here than just Brian's not being able to talk. You see, he can't talk, but he can scream. At least, when he's asleep. He has nightmares all the time. Probably about the murder of his mother which he witnessed. We've had to move him six times already so that now he's in a group home." Barry said.
"Okay. But having a real home with people who love him, won't that help?" I asked.
"Yes, in time, it probably will. Foster parents do the best they can but the don't let themselves get emotionally bonded with children. It just makes things hard if the child gets adopted or moves on to other placements. Brian really hasn't emotionally bonded with anybody." Barry said.
"Okay, well, maybe he can with us." Matt said.
"That would be wonderful. However, I have to reiterate that should you adopt him, the State of California would assume no responsibility for him whatever. Because you are not residents, you wouldn't even be allowed to return him to our foster care if things didn't work out, nor will the State assist with any costs related to his re-location, care or therapy." Barry said.
"Actually, that's just fine with us because that means that he's ours completely. Our responsibility." I said.
"And you two are ready to assume that responsibility?" Barry asked.
"Matt and I have a combined holdings of well over a million dollars. Together we hold twenty percent of the stock in Copeland and Son Construction company of Fort Lauderdale. Our Dads hold another forty percent and my grandfather holds the remaining stock in the firm. We are more than able to financially handle the responsibility." I said.
"Plus we have been a stable couple for twelve years now." Matt added.
"But you hardly look older than twenty-four or five!" Barry said.
"We're twenty-four." I told him.
"You've been a couple since you were twelve!?" Barry exclaimed.
"Yes." I said.
"That's why I wanted to interview them so badly." Frank interjected.
Barry sat there staring at us for a short time and then picked up the phone and dialed. He spoke to someone and told them we would be right over. When he hung up the phone, he looked at us.
"Let's go over to the group home. I want you to meet Brian." Barry said.
"If you don't need me for anything else, I'll see you at home later. I've got work I need to do." Frank said.
"No, I'll see you later." Barry smiled and the two lovers hugged and then Frank left.
"Well, you ready to meet Brian?" Barry asked.
"YES!" Matt and I answered together and then looked at each other and broke up laughing.
The trip to the group home took about forty minutes with Barry weaving on and off expressways that left me dizzy trying to figure out which direction we were even going in! This was one of the reasons Matt and I decided NOT to rent a car when we got to LA, fearing we would get lost on all the expressways and never be seen again! Barry however, wove his way through them with the ease and carelessness of a true 'Angelino'.
The facility which Barry drove up to was a very sterile one. Only a playground next to it gave any hint that children lived there. We went into the reception area where the guard and receptionist greeted Barry by name, evidently having seen him often. He led us to a room with couches which was some kind of lounge and asked us to wait while he got Brian. Neither Matt or I could sit down, we were both so nervous. We looked at each other and the 'eye-lock' thing happened as usual. It was like we were able to communicate telepathically to each other what we were feeling. I knew that Matt was more worried about me than anything. He knew what this meant to me, not that it didn't to him as well, but he knew me well enough by that time to know that, of the two of us, I'm the one who has the hardest time getting over disappointments.
About that time, Barry walked into the room with a little blond headed boy. His hair was long, cut like someone had put a bowl on his head and just cut around it. I wasn't sure if that wasn't exactly what they did do. I couldn't see his eyes because his head was down and he didn't seem disposed to looking up at us. I realized suddenly that I was over twice as tall as he was and so I squatted down so that the difference in our heights wouldn't be so dramatic.
"Brian, I want you to meet Michael and Matt." Barry said softly to the child.
It was at that point that he looked up and I could see that his eyes were deep blue - just like Matt's. He looked at me and then he looked up at Matt and then he looked back at me and I got the shock of my life! It was the very 'eye-lock' thing that happens between Matt and me! I'd never experienced it with anyone else in my life! But now, here was this little boy, his eyes locked on mine like he could see deep into my very soul!
"Hello, Brian." I said, my voice slightly trembling with emotion. "We're really glad to meet you."
What happened next, I have never had an explanation for. Certainly, Barry said that he'd never even heard of anything like it. Brian suddenly pulled his hand from Barry's and was running full- tilt across the room straight at me. I only had the presence of mind to put out my arms as Brian leapt into them, throwing his arms around my neck and hanging on for dear life! I held him to me, feeling his little body in my arms for the first time. I stood up with him still in my arms and he loosened his arms around my neck only enough to pull back and kiss me on the cheek, then he lay his head in the crook of my neck and shoulder and seemed to settle down to stay.
I looked over at Matt who was grinning at me. I turned my body so that Brian was now looking at Matt.
"Brian, that's Matt." I said to him.
Matt moved closer and Brian again loosened his arms around my neck, never letting go, but allowing enough slack that he could lean over and kiss Matt on the cheek as well.
"My God! I've never seen anything like this!" Barry exclaimed. "Brian is one of the shiest children I've ever dealt with! I thought he'd probably want to run back to his room when he saw you! I never expected anything like this!"
"I think that, as our friend Father Gray says, God has a plan here. I think this little boy was meant to be our son." I said, hugging Brian to me and getting another kiss on the cheek from him and even a shy smile this time. I kissed him back and the smile got even bigger. Matt moved closer and put his arms around both of us and kissed Brian on the cheek as well. I could also hear him breathing. I couldn't believe it at the time, but I was certain that Brian was inhaling our scents! Just like Matt and I did with each other.
"I don't know what to say!" Barry said. "Except to say that there's paperwork that we need to fill out to start the adoption process. Are you two absolutely sure you want to go through with this?"
Matt and I looked at Barry like he'd taken leave of his senses! Want to go through with it? We wanted to walk right out of there with Brian in my arms, get on a plane and fly home to Fort Lauderdale that day!
"Okay!" Barry grinned. "I had to ask."
Luckily, he'd brought most of the paperwork with him. We sat there on the couch, Brian now sitting in my lap but holding on to me, while we did so. Matt was stroking his hair and Brian finally let go of me and crawled over into Matt's lap. Matt put his arms around him and the next thing we knew, he was asleep in Matt's arms.
"I just can't believe this! I've never seen a child take to two strangers this way. I promise you, he has never been like this in the two years I've known him." Barry said, astonishment still in his voice.
"Oh, we believe you." Matt smiled. "It's like Michael said. God meant this little boy for us and he knows it."
"Well, you have to understand, nothing happens immediately. It's going to take some time to process all of this." Barry said.
"Would it help if we got an attorney?" I asked.
"Immeasurably!" Barry answered.
"Okay, who's the best attorney in Los Angeles for adoptions?" Matt asked.
"Well, there's Mark Coventry, but he's very, very expensive! He's the attorney who arranged the adoptions for Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman." he said.
"Money is not a problem, Barry. Have you got his number?" I asked.
"Yes, I do at the office. We'll go back there and I'll get it for you." Barry said. "In fact, I'll make the call for you. I've done some investigation for the State for his clients and I've gotten to know Mark's secretary pretty well."
"What do we do about Brian?" I asked, looking down at the sleeping boy in Matt's arms.
"There's nothing we can do, at least for the moment. He has to remain here." Barry said and I could tell he hated telling us that.
I leaned over and gently stroked my fingers along Brian's cheek. He opened his eyes and looked up at me and smiled.
"Listen, Tiger, I know you can't talk but I know you understand what I'm saying, don't you?" I asked him and he nodded. "Matt and I have to go back with Barry and do more papers but we're coming back to see you tomorrow. Do you want that?"
Brian again nodded and reached out his arms for me. I picked him up out of Matt's lap and hugged him to me again, his arms around my neck tight as he held on.
"Brian, we're going to try and become your Dads. Do you want that? Would you like to come and live with Matt and me?" I asked.
He pulled back and looked at me, grinning and nodding.
"This may take a while, but it's going to happen, okay?" I asked.
Again, he nodded and hugged me tight again.
"Brian, we have to leave now. Say good-bye to Matt and Michael. We'll see you again tomorrow." Barry said.
Brian hugged and kissed me and then hugged and kissed Matt. Then Barry took him by the hand and walked out of the lounge with him. Brian looked back at us, smiling until they turned left just outside the door. I looked at Matt and we both had tears running down our faces! It was harder for us to let him go than it was for him to leave. I think to this day it was because Brian knew that we were going to be his Dads and we were still scared that something would go wrong.
Barry came back and we drove back to his office. Not a lot was said on the way back. Matt and I were too emotionally tied up in knots to be much in the way of conversationalists. When we got back to Barry's office, we waited outside in the waiting room while he put in a call to Mark Conventry's office. He spent a long time talking to Mr. Coventry's secretary and then came out and told us he'd arranged an appointment with Mr. Coventry for four o'clock that afternoon. It was almost two then. He gave us the address - it was in Beverly Hills - and we called a cab from Barry's office to take us to the appointment.
It was only like 10 minutes from Barry's office to Mr. Conventry's though, given the difference in the neighborhoods, it could have been hours away! Since we were almost two hours early for the appointment and since neither of us had anything to eat since breakfast, we decided to have a late lunch. We found a Chinese restaurant and ordered some won-ton soup and pork lo-mein. We talked about nothing but Brian, how he made us feel, the reaction he had to both of us, how sure we were that this little boy was meant for us.
Finally, we got to Mr. Coventry's office about 20 minutes before our scheduled appointment. His secretary turned out to be a young male about our age who's name was Tom. Tom asked us about our experience with Brian and was very interested when we told him about Brian's very immediate reaction to us. I think he could see how excited both Matt and I were. Finally, the intercom on his desk buzzed and he took us down a hallway to Mr. Coventry's office. It was extremely large and there was a wall of windows overlooking most of Beverly Hills. Mark Coventry looked nothing like we expected. He was not more than 30 with dark, wavy hair and deep brown eyes. He was extremely handsome and even with a suit on, it was obvious he had a very well developed body.
He showed us to a conference table and asked if we wanted coffee. We told him we didn't drink coffee but did drink tea. He looked at us a little strangely when we said it but asked Tom to bring tea for all of us. I explained that my grandmother was the one who got us started drinking tea because it was so much healthier than coffee.
"So I talked to Barry a little while ago. He told me what happened at the group home. Quite an interesting reaction from the little boy." he said.
"Yes." I said. "We really didn't expect it. But we were very pleased by it, Mr. Coventry."
"Mark, please! I feel like we know each other already. You know, the Internet is a wonderful thing. Through it you can find out almost anything about anybody." he said. "For instance, you, Michael, were adopted when you were 5 years old just before your father died of AIDS. Matt, you lived with your mother until you were 12 and she re-married and she gave custody of you to your father. That's when you and Michael met. Both of your fathers, Matt, and both of your fathers, Michael, are partners in Copeland and Son Construction in Fort Lauderdale along with yourselves and your Grandfather Henry. You had revenues of $110 million last year and the two of you are worth somewhere in the neighborhood of about $2 million. You were married six years ago but I believe your relationship is a lot longer than that, am I right?" Mark said.
Matt and I just sat there staring. I was utterly taken aback by the information that Mark had!
"Want to tell us which one of us is cut and which is uncut?" Matt asked.
Mark began laughing uproariously.
"I'm sorry. You see, I have to check out all of my potential clients. I can't be arranging adoptions for people who are child molesters or abusers - no matter how much money they have! My work is very important to me. It is making families. It is finding good homes for children who don't have them. I take it very seriously." he said.
"So do you think we qualify?" I asked.
"Oh, yes. I'm pretty sure you do. But I still have a lot of questions I want to ask you." Mark said.
For the next two hours we answered questions about ourselves, our relationship, our Dads, our Grandparents, our relationships with all of them. We talked about our futures and our dreams. We talked a long time about why we wanted a son. Especially one with 'special needs'.
"We didn't set out to find a child who had this kind of trauma in his life and, I suppose, if we had any sense, we wouldn't want to take this on, but when Brian ran into my arms - it was like him begging me to take care of him. I have no other way to explain it." I said.
"Well, it's an interesting state of affairs, right now. Times were in California that 'special needs' children were harder to adopt than any others. Now, because the State doesn't really have the budget to care for them, they are more willing to allow their adoption. You couldn't have picked a better time." Mark said.
"We didn't pick the time." Matt said. "God did."
Mark looked at Matt for a few moments without saying anything.
"We believe very strongly that God brought us together and that God has placed Brian in our lives." I said.
"I know that you two have been married for six years. How long have you been lovers?" Mark asked.
"Since we were 12." Matt answered.
"You mean from the time you met?" Mark asked.
"From the moment we met, almost." I said.
"And you've been completely faithful to each other all this time?" Mark asked, amazement showing in his voice.
"Yes. We've never wanted anyone but each other." Matt answered and I nodded my agreement.
"Amazing!" Mark murmured, almost to himself.
"How long should the adoption take?" I asked.
"Well, the first thing is to get the case moved to the 'top of the pile' down at foster care. Since Barry is a supervisor there, that will be no problem. Plus, I'm quite well known by all of Barry's bosses. I think I should be able to cut through a lot of the red tape. However, being from Florida presents a unique problem." Mark said.
"How is that?" I asked.
"Well, you know you can't legally adopt in Florida." Mark said.
"Yes, we know that." I said.
"So unlike other adoptions, we cannot ask their Department of Children and Families to do the home inspection for us because they would refuse. Therefore, you are going to have to assume the cost of flying a worker from here to your home in Florida and allow our people to do the home inspection." he said.
"Who would do that and how soon?" Matt asked.
"Well, Barry has said he's more than willing to make the trip himself. That's good because Barry's report will carry a lot of weight. I think that can be arranged within the next 72 hours. Depending on that report, I see the adoption taking no more than three weeks. Is your home set up for a child?" Mark asked.
Matt and I looked at each other and smiled.
"Yes. We still have the room that Michael grew up in still exactly as it was when our Dads moved out to their own home leaving us the cottage." Matt said.
"But you both own the property, is that right?" he asked.
"Yes, Grandma and Grandpa gave it to us as a wedding present. They wanted to make sure that if anything happened to them, we would always have a home there. They still occupy the big house in front. Brian will actually have the run of two houses on the same property. He will also have constant care. Both my grandmother and the woman who took care of me as a child will be there so that when Matt and I are at work, Brian will always have supervision. Brian will automatically have medical coverage through the company as our child and we will arrange therapy for him for his 'special needs." I said.
"You've really thought this out, haven't you." Mark said, sounding impressed.
"Mark, from the moment that Matt and I finally married, I've thought of almost nothing else. Matt feels the same way that I do. We want a son." I said.
"Is that true, Matt." Mark asked.
"Absolutely. We have done everything we can think of to prepare for this. Last year, we even took classes for prospective parents. More importantly, we feel that the love and acceptance that Brian will find in our very close-knit family, will give him the best kind of home environment." Matt said.
"I couldn't agree more." Mark said. "Okay, let's talk about costs. This adoption, total, should run you some where right around $75,000. Do you have a problem with that?"
"None whatsoever. If you said that we could take Brian home with us now, I'd write you a check right this minute." I said.
"No need for that but you can write one for my retainer. Let's say $5,000?" he said.
"Fine." I said, pulling out my checkbook and writing a check.
"One question, who's last name will Brian be assuming?" Mark asked.
"Mine." I said. "Mark and I have talked about this. He will be our son but he will be a Copeland, like I am, so that he can carry on the family name in the business one day."
"And if he chooses not to be in the business?" Mark asked.
"That will be fine. We only will offer him the opportunity. We want him to be his own person and find his own happiness, just the way that we did." Matt said and I nodded.
"Fine. How long are you planning to stay in LA?" Mark asked.
"We were scheduled to fly home tomorrow but we can stay longer if it's necessary." I said.
"I'd like you to stay for a few more days, if that convenient. We may need to get a few more facts from you. Documents I'm sure your office in Fort Lauderdale can send me, right?" he asked.
"Whatever you need, you'll have." I said.
"In the mean time, Barry can fly back to Fort Lauderdale with you for the home inspection. Then you would need to return here once the adoption is granted." Mark said.
"That's fine. We want to see Brian again anyway. How about we spend three more days here? We can spend it with Brian." I asked.
"Yes, that should be long enough. Now, let's get these adoption requests signed so that I can submit them in the morning and get the process started."
We spent most of the next hour filling out the papers. We then took a cab back to our hotel and spoke to the front desk about extending our stay. The hotel was pleased to. They even arranged to re-book us on later flights. We then went upstairs to call our family in Fort Lauderdale to tell them about the delay and the wonderful, miraculous news that was causing it.
THE END of Part 25 of SUBIC SURRENDER. MICHAEL'S STORY - Part 10
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RimPig