It took the four of them two days to tell the whole story to Max and Shelby who were spellbound until it was over. They had to hear it all, a chapter at a time, each of them presenting a different viewpoint along the way. Max said he would write the book and they all laughed. It was good to be home.

Jerry was coming along nicely, a fact confirmed by Dr. Borden, one of Max's medico friends. Two ribs had been cracked by the blow of a rifle butt, his wrist broken by that bastard of a commander, Ignacio's lieutenant. But those days were over and behind them, Jerry would heal and much of that was due to the attentions of Miguel.

Key West made a huge impression on Miguel. He quickly embraced the island and all the crazy folks he met. This time Chris got to watch Miguel's induction at the hands of Neptune, King of the Deep, and yelled "Douse him" with all the rest. Life was fun…and never more so than in the private time he spent with Gary.

During one of those moments as Chris applied the ointment to the scrapes on Gary's back, he stopped to contemplate just what he wanted.

"Gary…when are we going to have real sex?"

Gary rolled on his side and looked up at the curiosity in Chris' eyes. "I think what we have is pretty darn real," He replied.

"Yeah ... but ... "

"I've been waiting for you to ask," Gary said. "Love means never having to say I'm sorry for anything so I've been waiting for you to decide. It's a big step and I never wanted you to think that's why I brought you into my life. I just wanted to prove that my love is more than sex. Do you understand?"

Chris lay down in Gary's arms and they kissed. "I know that now," Chris finally said. "I'm glad you waited, but we don't have to anymore."

"We've been together less than a month…are you sure?"

Chris nodded. "I think we have…we need to do it. I have to find out what it feels like with you inside of me. It's a part of loving you I need to understand."

That was all Gary needed to hear. It wasn't about having sex, it was about validating their love. It would mean planning a romantic evening for Chris to enjoy and he could do that. There would be nothing about sacrificing his virginity on the altar or any of that crap. It needed to be the culminating moment of a grand and wondrous night...Key West style.

Gary spent a little time on the phone later that morning to make the arrangements and told Chris nothing of his plans. The boys sat in the back yard and played cards most of the day. Miguel was being considerate of Jerry who still found walking long distances difficult with his ribs taped up. So far the cast on his left arm didn't bother him, but it would when it began to itch.

Gary couldn't begin to count the number of broken bones he'd endured; fortunately his head wasn't one of them. Max came to the back door and motioned Gary inside where they wandered down the hall to the office.

"Chris' mother isn't doing well. I just got off the phone with Tommy and he says she's in intensive care at the hospital, her organs are failing." Max took off his glasses and polished them. "Are you going to tell him?"

Gary sighed. "I have to and we need to be there before anything happens."

"I figured that. National has a puddle jumper flight out of here at seven o'clock. They have room for two more."

Gary nodded. "Things are going so well. I never saw my mother before she died. I don't want Chris to go through that. Thanks, I'll tell him."

The best laid plans…but Gary understood the importance. He walked back out to the yard and Chris looked up. The innocence in those eyes, the love, but Chris would need him more than ever if…when his mother died.

"Chris, let's go inside for a moment," Gary said.

The front of the house was dark and quiet as Gary sat on the couch and patted the cushions beside him. "Sit, we have to take care of something."

Chris listened as Gary explained what they needed to do. Pack an overnight bag, drive to the airport and fly up to Ft. Lauderdale, all in the next three hours. There were no tears, Gary didn't expect any now…maybe later.

Chris had always said he worried he might wake up and find her dead. The families of addicts probably all felt that way. At least now he would get to see her. It wouldn't be pretty, deathbed scenes never were. But at least he would get to say goodbye, there was nothing else to do.

They left the house quietly with Max promising to tell the boys where they were going. Chris was introspective, but the short drive up Flagler to the airport gave him little time to vent his feelings. Gary put the one bag through the scanner and showed their passports to the security staff. They were on the tiny plane twenty minutes later.

Chris looked out the window and then back at Gary. "Um…I've never flown before."

"I've seen buses bigger than this plane," Gary said. "There's nothing to it."

"Is she going to die?" Chris asked.

"Things don't look promising. She's had the best of care for the past two weeks, but I think it came too late."

"I'm never going to drink or smoke pot again," Chris said. "She's been drinking for years…too many years."

"Most things are fine in moderation. But you said she was depressed which took away all her common sense, she was trying to make the depression go away."

Chris nodded. "I think she stopped for a while about ten years ago because some people at her job talked her into quitting…" And the engines on the plane started up.

Chris looked tense and Gary took his hand. They leaned back in the seats as the plane taxied out to the end of the runway and turned into the wind. It was twilight outside, and they would land in darkness. The propellers spun up to speed and the pilot let off the brakes, a minute later they were off the ground.

They had taken off facing west so the plane banked and headed back in a long slow loop out to sea. This allowed Chris to view the island as they headed north-east. The boy was a pretty cool customer; at least he hadn't clutched Gary's hand very hard.

Like with sailing, Chris was game to try anything. Gary knew they would have had a wonderful night of sexual discovery, but that was history now. What lay ahead was uncertain, but at least they would be there together.

The flight was over almost before Gary had time to ponder if Tommy would meet them at the airport. But as they walked down the stairs from the plane and across the tarmac to the building they could see the man standing in the windows of the boarding lounge.

Chris didn't hesitate to give the big man a hug, and for his part Tommy was in his soft and gentle mode just like a good parent. He smiled at Gary and then they followed him across the concourse to the entrance.

University Hospital sat in a vast sea of parking lots, a large and forbidding edifice. Tommy led them in through the main entrance and over to the reception counter. It was long past visiting hours but the guard had been told to allow them upstairs so they took the elevator to the fourth floor.

The hallways here were dimly lit, the quiet almost overwhelming. But this was the intensive care unit, a place where people often rode out their final hours. Tommy stopped at the nurse's station and a small dark haired woman looked up at them.

"Mr. Brixton…you're back," She said.

"Sharon, this is Chris Owens…he's come to see his mother," Tommy said.

She nodded. "Dr. Melvin said to expect him." And then she walked around the counter and put a hand on Chris' shoulder. "She's been very quiet today so I don't want you to be disappointed if she isn't awake."

"She's dying…I understand," Chris said.

Sharon nodded. "I want you to know she's not in any pain."

She looked at Gary, a grim look that said all this would soon be over. They followed Sharon down the hall to a private room filled with equipment, and there in the bed lay Chris' mother.

Gary wasn't sure what to expect, he'd never seen the woman before. But despite all the tubes and wires surrounding her frail body he would have known her as Chris' mother in an instant. The blonde hair, the nose…the boy looked just like her. But even though her eyes were closed Gary knew they would be blue, the same watery blue that had kept him riveted to Chris these past few weeks.

"You may stand by the bed, Chris. Take her hand if you like, sometimes she wakes up. But the medication clouds her mind, she may not recognize you, I'm sorry," Sharon said.

Chris turned his eyes away from the bed and smiled at Sharon. "Thank you…I know you've done everything you could for her."

Gary saw tears appear in Sharon's eyes and without a word they hugged before she left the room. Chris was in shock, but his words to the nurse had been extremely mature and thoughtful. Now their focus turned back to the bed. Tommy gave Gary a glance and walked back out into the hallway. Chris approached the bed and gently took his mother's hand.

"Hi, Mom…I came back." But there was no response.

Gary moved a chair over beside the bed and Chris sat down, still holding his mother's hand. Her eyes moved behind the closed eyelids, but Gary knew she was deep asleep. Pain management was all part of the final stages of life in the medical world. The only sound in the room was the low beeping of the heart monitor.

It would have been better if she was awake and could give Chris some sign of recognition, some indication of their relationship. But if that was not to be then at least the boy could pay his last respects. Gary left Chris alone with his thoughts for a long time, and then Chris turned his head and looked up.

"At least she's not in pain," He said. The face was filled with sadness but there were no tears. Gary moved behind the chair and placed his hands on Chris' shoulders. In response Chris raised a hand and placed it over Gary's.

"It would have been nice to tell her about us, maybe she would understand," Chris said. "She looks so tired, I'm glad she's in this place. Mom never liked hospitals, but I bet we've sat in more emergency rooms than most people. I was always such an idiot, hurting myself all the time. But she would load me in the car, bleeding all over the place, and drive me to the emergency room. Now she's the one who needs the care…this must be powerful expensive. Are you paying for all this?"

Gary smiled, and then nodded. "You're worth it."

They stayed for almost an hour, but Chris' mother never woke up. He finally stood up and leaned over the bed, giving her a kiss on the cheek. Then he let go of her hand and turned to Gary.

"We should go now…can we come back tomorrow?"

"We'll stay all week if you want," Gary said.

Chris looked back at his mother. "Good Bye, Mom."

Tommy drove them back downtown, and over to the ocean highway where Gary had the condo. They pulled up in the circular drive out front and stopped.

"Do you need me tomorrow?" Tommy asked.

"I can drive us back to the hospital in the morning," Gary said. There was a company car in the garage at the back of the building.

"The fridge is stocked; your service took care of that and the cleaning yesterday once we knew you were coming. I'll be at home if you need me."

"Thanks, Tommy," Gary said.

Chris leaned in the window and gave the big man a hug. "Thank you, Tommy."

"You need anything…I got your back," Tommy said, and then he drove away.

Gary slid his key card in the entry door to admit them to the lobby and walked over to the elevator. The door slid open and he punched the number six. Chris was still very quiet as they walked the length of the carpeted hallway and entered the apartment. The décor was all soft earth tones, something Gary had always favored and it fit the mood of the moment.

Chris walked across the living room towards the ceiling to floor windows which looked across the balcony to the ocean. There in the sky hung a large gibbous moon with enough light to see the dark waters below. Gary turned on a small lamp beside the sofa and Chris turned around.

"What happened," Chris said. "I thought she was recovering."

"Her liver finally gave out and that affected her other organs. I should have told you before that the doctors said it was an iffy thing, but I didn't want to hurt you. Maybe I was just hoping she might pull through."

Chris nodded. "I knew this was going to happen, I've known for a long time. I was so afraid I would be left alone…but not any more."

With that he walked into Gary's arms and held on for dear life. Gary held him tight, knowing that the only thing keeping Chris from falling apart was this love they shared. It was growing late and they both needed rest before facing the hospital again in the light of day. Gary turned Chris around and guided him towards the bedroom.

An hour later they were both still awake, side by side in bed.

"I'm sorry," Chris said.

Gary rolled on his side and could read Chris' features in the moonlight streaming through the bedroom window.

"Why are you sorry?"

"We were going to…you know, we were going to make love and have a grand time of it."

"And what makes you think we still won't do just that? The best things in life are worth waiting for," Gary said.

"When she dies…what will happen to me?"

"I was going to get her to sign over custody to me, but that's out of the question now. You'll be eighteen in just about fourteen months, but in the meantime I think you should stick to the Chris Lewis identity."

"Will the county come looking for me when Mom dies? They could track you down if you're paying the bills."

Goodness, what a bright kid. "If they try all they will find are lawyers and a holding company. Gary Lewis doesn't exist in too many records, I made sure of that. We fight terrorists, Chris, and I don't want them finding any of us. Tommy, Nate…all of us lives in what we call a black hole when it comes to personal information. The company is our shield, and Max makes sure of that."

"Oh…that's cool, but what about me?"

"As Chris Lewis you don't really exist unless Max builds some records for you, like for school or medical reasons."

"School…I guess we better do something about that," Chris said.

"We certainly will, it's on my list of things to do this month," Gary said. "It's time to sleep, sweetie…roll over and let me rub your back."

"Good Night, Daddy." Chris leaned up for a kiss and then rolled on his stomach.

Gary moved his hands in slow, gentle motions up and down Chris' back. Moments like this were always satisfying and emotional, tonight was no different. He could feel the tenseness ebb away as Chris relaxed into the mattress, this was a good thing. Tomorrow would be trying enough without the poor kid being exhausted on top of that.

By rights Chris should be given into the custody of his aunt after the mother died, but not with the uncle there. They didn't even know where to begin looking for these people. Gary didn't think the man was a threat to Chris anymore. In fact it might be the other way around. The boy had developed a huge amount of courage in the past few weeks, and nothing proved it more than the way he was acting now.

Gary had cried when his mother died, Chris would too, probably at the funeral. Something else that Gary knew would have to be arranged. They would have to go through the house which Tommy said had been secured even though there was little in the place. Chris might want some of his things.

The sound of Chris' soft breathing told the story, he was asleep. Gary laid his head on Chris' pillow and snuggled up close. The scent of the boy's hair, the smell of his skin, all that was quite familiar by now. And as Gary closed his eyes he knew these were among the finest moments in his life.

They had gone to sleep under moonlight, which meant the drapes were open when the sun came up five and three-quarters of an hour later. Gary awoke at the first rays peeking over the horizon and got up to close the curtains. It was almost six-thirty and they wouldn't go to the hospital until after ten. He would let Chris sleep until he was ready to get up.

Gary was in the kitchen making coffee when the phone chirped and he hurried to pick it up before it woke Chris.

"Gary?" It was Tommy.

"Yes, you're up early."

"The hospital has my cell number…she died at six o'clock this morning. I'm sorry I had to give you the news."

"No, better you than a stranger…thanks, Tommy. I'll get back to you later today or tomorrow. I have some arrangements to make."

"I'll be here…my condolences to Chris."

"I'm sure he'll appreciate that…I better go tell him. Bye for now."

Gary hung up the phone with resignation. This was one chore he didn't relish. He walked across the living room to the bedroom door and looked in. Chris was standing before the windows, the curtains pulled back and the bright blaze of the morning sun right in his face.

"I heard the phone…Mom died, didn't she?"

"Yes…they called Tommy and told him she died about an hour ago."

Gary could feel the heat of the sun from across the room; it must be intense standing there naked in front of the window. Chris' hair was ablaze with the light and Gary was amazed as the boy turned around to reveal the calm, quiet expression on his face.

"I'm not going to cry about this, so don't worry about that. I suppose we have to bury her somewhere, I think she wanted to be cremated." Chris slid the curtains shut and sat on the end of the bed. "I'm glad it's over…it's terribly sad but it's over, I don't have to worry about her anymore. At least I got to say good-bye."

"You're being very brave about this," Gary said.

"What do we have to do now?"

"I'll contact a funeral home; they'll take care of it. Would you like to see her before the cremation?"

Chris thought a moment. "No, I don't think that will be necessary, I have an image of her I want to keep." He put his arms around Gary's neck. "I'm going to survive this because of you."

The arrangements were made and the cremation occurred three days later. Chris had revealed that his mother wasn't a very religious person so there didn't need to be any ceremonies held. But there was still the question of what to do with her ashes and Chris decided they would wait until they could take the boat out and sprinkle them on the ocean.

Like most men who had faced danger for a living, Gary understood the need Chris had for closure. Burying a loved one only provided a fixed point in the ground as a memorial, but death rituals were about the living. The memory of Chris' mother was his alone for the moment, and placing her ashes on the sea would allow him to move on.

It was a sailor's solution as they were all creatures of the sea. And now that Chris felt that attraction it only seemed appropriate that he would bury his mother in a place he respected so well, a place he might like for himself someday. Gary already had a clause in his will about a sea burial; he thought most of the guys on the team did.

When the ashes were delivered in a decorative urn, Chris put them aside on the floor of the bedroom closet and there they remained. By the following week Gary was up to his eyebrows in information about private schools, charter schools and home school programs.

It was a daunting task to make a decision that would affect the rest of Chris' life, but it was just one of several issues in their lives. Gary and Chris drove to Miami and searched for an apartment that would house Miguel and Jerry. Miguel had the grades and background to attend the University. Jerry had not graduated high school, and so he was bound for evening classes to complete that chore.

If the relationship was to work then Jerry would have to be challenged to keep up with Miguel, he had to finish school and find a job. Gary didn't want it to be that easy for them, but he could make sure they didn't fail. Adversity built character and would bind them in a solid partnership.

Chris was supposed to be in his junior year of high school, but his grades were less than stellar. Max could build him a solid academic background on paper, but then that would assure Chris had a hard time in many of his classes. No, if Gary had known earlier then he would have begun a tutoring program much sooner. As it was the home school option seemed best for now…and it would allow them to travel.

After finding Miguel and Jerry an apartment less than a mile from campus, Gary decided they needed to abandon the city and return to Key West. He always did his best thinking on the island, and his thoughts had been flowing without resolution for quite some time. They packed up and boarded a flight back with Chris carrying the urn in an air freight box.

They chose the next calm Friday evening to motor the Brass Balls out beyond the harbor buoy and set sail into the sunset. Back on the beach there were bonfires springing up as the conchs began to prepare their entertainment for the tourists. Chris waited until the sun was sitting on the horizon before he opened the urn.

Max, Jerry, Miguel and Shelby all stood silently as Chris held the urn aloft, Gary pointed to starboard and turned the boat until the sails drooped and the craft came to a halt.

"Thanks, Mom," Chris said. "Sleep well…and good night."

He poured the ashes on the water and tapped the bottom of the urn to make sure they were all gone. The sky was lit with a glorious display of color as Chris dropped the urn over the side. Then he turned to Gary and gave him a hug.

The remaining weeks of summer involved several trips to Miami, allowing Jerry and Miguel to get settled into the apartment. They visited the university campus, picked up Miguel's class schedule and bought his textbooks. What Gary found interesting was Miguel's avowed interest in the medical profession and the classes he chose that would set him on the path for medical school.

Jerry took a job in a hotel on South Beach and signed up for night classes to study for his high school exams. It was a big responsibility for a person who didn't always handle himself well, but Miguel would be there this time and that made all the difference in the world.

Gary signed Chris up for home schooling through a website that would allow the boy to submit his work online. There were still books to read and tests to take, but Chris could work at his own pace and in his own time to accomplish the tasks. That got Gary thinking about what to do with all this free time.

Tommy had been in Italy all week working on a security deal. Gary knew the details but he lay back knowing full well the man would ask if he needed help. This was going to work because there were no ego problems in the company; they needed one another too much for that to happen.

The first week in September brought them a break in the hot weather. Now it was only eighty degrees every day and the nights were damn near perfect. Chris was on the school website one morning looking at the first lesson plans when he turned to Gary.

"This is so cool, I should have had school like this years ago."

"Yeah, between all those pot parties you might have accomplished something…do you think?" Gary asked.

"Hmm, that's a low blow…but you're right as always."

"It's no fun being right all the time. I'd rather be loved," Gary said.

Chris laughed. "Speaking of which…"

Gary looked up from his book. "Are we there yet?"

"I think we should…we owe it to ourselves," Chris said. "My birthday is in two weeks, you can consider it my present."

"You have a birthday? Damn, I didn't know that."

"Liar…you haven't forgotten."

"True, I haven't."

They had dinner at Blue Heaven, a very highly rated restaurant, but still very much Key West. To those not used to the island it might seem strange but most of the customers arrived for dinner by bicycle. Max kept a shed with a half dozen of the study two-wheeled contraptions; it was only a matter of finding two that didn't have flat tires.

After a dinner of curried shrimp and Key Lime pie, they rode the bikes over to the hotel where the Brass Balls sat riding easy in the harbor.

"Boat or hotel room, I'll give you a choice," Gary said.

"Hotel, then we can shower together," Chris replied.

Gary carried all the necessities in a fanny pack, and he had reserved the room that morning. It was just like the way they always began when the urge came over them, only now there would be something new added to the repertoire.

Chris was ready, but then he had been physically ready for a long while. Time and tides, Gary had said, life doesn't always allow you to have what you want right away. The time was right and the tide of emotion carried them along and into the experience.

Chris had known it would feel wonderful, and yet there was no comprehension of the moment until he was in it. He had not been prepared for the overwhelming emotion of looking up into Gary's face as they joined and the man he desired filled him with solid proof of that love.

He knew that cock well by now, but never this intimately. Gary was gentle and slow and…then Chris was filled. Their eyes locked together. Gary's filled with concern he might be causing pain and Chris' filled with awe.

"Oh My God…this is wonderful," Chris all but yelled…and then Gary began to move.

Their pairing dissolved into moans and groans until the achieved orgasm, mutual by design, unplanned in ferocity, until all that was left was the afterglow and the heavy breathing. Chris grinned like an idiot.

"I'm such a fool. I never knew how awesome…we should have done this a long time ago."

Gary leaned down and kissed the boy's nose, shaking his head in return. "You weren't ready and we had to find that common bond to make this the best kind of love."

They made love again…and again that night, and in all fairness Gary urged Chris to take the top that final time. Now the boy understood the sense of power and the means of giving…the loving that a man could share with his partner. It was all a damn fine experience.

Two in the morning and another flood of moonlight streaming in the windows. There was not a word about what had happened twenty-nine days before. Chris seemed to be past the loss of his mother.

He lay with his head on Gary's chest, both of them exhausted and yet wide awake.

"I feel emancipated," Chris said. "That's the word, the one that means totally free, isn't it?"

"That's one of the meanings," Gary said.

Chris sat up and turned his face to Gary's. "I mean, I feel free of my old life. I'm bound to you now; I never want to be free of that."

Gary smiled. "I understand. I'm in your life for good…for better or worse as they say."

"Tell me something…what was the worst thing that ever happened to you?" Chris asked.

"Um…that's a hard question, sweetie."

"Was it when you were in the Navy…in combat?"

"No, not really. We were all conditioned to handle that kind of stress; we lived with it for months on end. And I wasn't alone because I had the team around me. No…I guess the worst thing was when my father rejected me, I wasn't prepared for it."

"But you left…you came here and found Max," Chris said.

"Max found me; I was a lost puppy by then. I had left North Carolina, took rides all the way down here and then realized this was the end of the line. I couldn't go any further and had no idea what I was doing here. You have no way of knowing how miserable I was by then."

"But I do, Gary…we felt the same way. I wasn't going home when you picked me up, I lied to you. Mom was at the house, it was never really a home...for either of us. I was getting stoned all the time and she was getting drunk, we were both so fucked up…"

It was here that Chris began to cry and Gary pulled him into an embrace, allowing the tears to flow. The emotions had been running high all evening so it didn't take much imagination to see that this deep well of feeling had been festering inside for a long time. All it took for this moment of catharsis was for Chris to feel secure in their love.

"I know what it's like to feel alone, at least you had the chance to say good-bye to your mother," Gary said. "I was ten thousand miles away when mine died and we had not spoken in almost fifteen years."

"Oh…that's terrible," Chris said, wiping the tears from his face.

Gary brushed the hair back from Chris' forehead and went on.

"I was given leave to come home and attend the funeral, but I had no idea what my feelings would be like. I took a military cargo flight from the Middle East to Germany and then caught a civilian airline into Norfolk, Virginia. My parents lived in Elizabeth City just off the coast and I had to rent a car to drive down there. The plane and the car took every bit of the available cash I had in my pocket, I was broke by the time I drove up to my parent's house.

"I felt lost since I hadn't been there in years, but of course the house was locked and I had no key. Mrs. Johnson lived next door and she was mom's best friend so I knocked on her door. I had completely forgotten that I was still in uniform and I'm afraid I scared the poor lady half to death.

"But once she recognized me I was given a hug, invited to dinner and handed the key to my parent's house. Walking back in there was like visiting a museum, nothing had changed, and everything I remembered was still there. My parents had just gone out on one of their trips to the beach cottage in Nags Head and never came home.

"My room was the same and I knew my mother had vacuumed the carpet every week like she always did and I could smell the furniture polish on my dresser. My father may have rejected me but Mom never did. I remember sitting down at my desk and crying for the longest time."

Gary didn't feel the harsh emotions any more, he'd come to terms with them all. But Chris' face was a mask of concern. His feelings had turned away from his own grief and were now focused on Gary.

"I had been there only a few hours when Max arrived. At the time I didn't know he had been there several years before to talk with my parents about me. I was never more grateful to see someone in my life, and he was just the person who could pull me back together.

"We searched my father's study and discovered the name of his lawyer and some papers regarding a burial plot he had purchased years ago. Max sat down and called the lawyer while I went up to my parent's bedroom to see if there was anything else we might need in my mother's desk. It was there that I found the letters she had written me and never sent."

"Oh God," Chris said.

"Yeah…Mom didn't even know where I was. The letters filled an entire box and I figured she must have written one about every other month for years. But I couldn't face reading them, not then…maybe never.

"My parents had a church funeral and half the town was there. I didn't want to go in uniform but Max insisted I should, if only to allow the townsfolk a chance to see who I had become. And so I wore my dress uniform with all the marks of my rank and the ribbons and medals I had been awarded.

"As always Max was right, you could have heard a pin drop when I walked in that church and marched up the center aisle to the front. But after the service the coffins were carried down the aisle and out the doors of the church. The cemetery was only a half mile from the church and traditionally the family walked behind the hearse as the townspeople stood along the road and watched.

"But only Max and I lined up behind the hearse because there was no one else…and then in twos and threes all the people who had been standing along the road fell in behind us and walked to the cemetery. It was one of the most emotional moments I ever…and I felt so sad.

"All those years wasted because of my father's ignorance. I should have been there; I should have grown up around those people who knew my parents so well. I was denied that."

Gary sighed. "It's one of the reasons I felt like I had to take gay boys in and give them the family they had been denied. It happened to me and I know how much pain that caused. But when the lawyer read my father's will and I learned what my mother had made him do on my behalf…well, I had the means to follow through. All that has brought me here to you, sweetie…you make me whole again."

At seventeen, Chris proved himself worthy as a companion and a son. All through the fall and into the winter he worked hard on his home study program, and when his grades were up Gary began another course of study. Sailing the Brass Balls was more than raising and lowering the sails, and so Gary began to impart the knowledge Chris would need to make him a first class sailor.

By early spring Gary knew the boy was ready and he made the call. Once he had hung up the phone he knew it was time to let Chris in on the plans. Max was well aware of the trip Gary had planned and they talked about the places they should see and the people they knew. Then they sat down on the patio in the balmy Key West evening for a talk.

"In two weeks we leave for Antigua," Gary said.

Chris knew where that island was located. Geography was all part of his lessons on sailing in the Caribbean. "I hear it's beautiful down there," He said.

"It is all that, but it's just the jumping off point for our little adventure," Gary said. "We have a friend, ex-Navy of course, and he runs a boat out of St. John's harbor. I've booked us a passage with him."

"Where are we going?" Chris asked.

"The Mediterranean…Spain, France, Italy and Greece."

"Oh My God…that's awesome."

"You don't know the half of it," Gary laughed. "We aren't passengers; we have to work the boat…a schooner actually."

"Oh wow…how big?"

"About a hundred some feet I think, two masts, a fully rigged craft. Alan has a crew of instructors and carries about fifty students, most of them your age or older. We'll spend a month on the ship, and then we can fool around after we get there. I think you're ready and it will definitely be an intense adventure."

Chris was in his arms in a flash and covered Gary in hugs and kisses. Max and Shelby looked on with smiles, envious as hell. Max reached over and patted Shelby's hand.

"You graduate next year," He said. "Then we can take another long trip like that."

Shelby grinned. "I like it, but I didn't think you were much of a sailor."

"I can be under the right circumstances," Max said. "But I'd rather take a luxury cruise ship."

It was Shelby who laughed this time. "That would be fine by me, just as long as you're there."

The dawn of a new morning and the sea birds were out skimming the ocean in search of breakfast. Key West was still asleep, the island's residents in that dream state after a long night of celebration. The tourist season was winding down and soon the conchs would have their island back for the summer.

Shelby's car made its way down the quiet streets to the parking lot of the marina. Halfway along the dock sat the Brass Balls rocking gently in the morning swell. The trip to Antigua would take five days, a distance of twelve hundred miles.

But they would take the first leg to Nassau in the Bahamas. Then on to San Salvador, The Turks, Puerto Rico and then finally reach their destination in St. John's, Antigua. Five days of sailing that Gary had stretched into two weeks just in case. Alan might be a friend but his ship waited for no man.

There were hugs all around and Shelby cast off the mooring lines.

"Let's take her out." And the engine came to life, pushing them along until they came to the outer buoy.

"I think it's time, don't you? Raise the sails."

"Aye aye, Captain," Gary said with a laugh, and he cranked on the winch. Chris turned the wheel as they caught the morning breeze, the billow of the sails pulling them over in that now familiar lean to starboard. And as the sky filled with light the Brass Balls rounded the tip of Key West, sailing off into the sunrise and a most welcome future.

The End

Thank you so much for reading.
Chris James


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"Brass Balls" Copyright © 2011 by Chris James. All rights reserved.
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