Dave and Leroy Ch. 14

"Kiss and hug, Dave."

"Mom, be nice. You said you would today."

"I'm trying. I haven't said anything to Leroy. Can't I comment?"

"No." Lee, Allison, Dan, and Sarah all said in unison.

Sue clammed up and didn't say anything for a while. She was now mad at the four of them and turned back to the pool. Dave and Leroy were playing with Jason and Tiff. Tiff was handed over to them when Jewels decided she wanted to get out of the pool for a bit.

Sue watched Leroy closely. She could tell that he loved the boy. Sue couldn't believe that they would adopt a half Asian kid and thought that they really shouldn't be adopting a child at all. She watched Allison go over and asked Dave and Leroy to hold Jason, so she could take a picture of them. She then watched Jewels, and her friend Alissa take Tiff and Jason. Dave and Leroy swam to the deep end of the pool. They were playing around with one another, and every once in a while, they would kiss again.

When Allison's husband Jason declared the food ready, everyone got out of the pool and headed for all the tables that had been set up. Some of the kids, including Jason, whined that they didn't want to get out of the pool. Leroy pulled Jason off to the side and told him that if he cried about getting out of the pool that he wouldn't be allowed back in. Jason stopped immediately.

Leroy chose where to sit. He took the furthest table from Sue, but Sue could still see them. Dave and Leroy had sat in a loveseat bench with Jason on Leroy's lap. While everyone was talking and eating, Leroy finished his food and leaned back and put his arm around Dave. Dave leaned into his chest and just relaxed. Jason was still working on his hotdog, but when he was done, he also leaned back against Leroy.

"So when is the date of the adoption, Leroy?" Jeff asked from another table.

"July seventh," Leroy responded loud enough for everyone to hear. "That is the court date. I don't know if they will rule that day or not."

"That's great. It'll be here before you know it," Jeff responded.

"Yeah Dave and I can't wait. Then he'll be ours." He hugged Jason.

Sue had had enough and stood up. "This is wrong." Sarah and Lee tried to tell Sue to shut up. "No, I'm not going to shut up. Two GAY men shouldn't be allowed to raise a child. They have probably already turned him gay. The child needs a mother and a father, not two fathers. Dave and Leroy are going to Hell, and they are going to take this child that they're inflicting their filth on with them."

Dave stood up before Leroy could and walked over to where Sue was. "Sue, you are wrong. Pull your head out of your bible long enough, and you would see the world for what it is."

"Gay men are basically pedophiles, and society is just handing over children to them."

"Sue, do you hear yourself?" Dave was getting angry. "You just called Leroy and me child molesters."

"You are just as bad as one."

Leroy stood up with Jason in his hands. He walked around to Jeff and gave him Jason. Then he walked over to Dave's side. "So now we are worse in your eyes because we are adopting a child, and we are going to take him to Hell with us. Well, at least he will have loving parents waiting for him there. Sue, you are sick to even say that gay people are pedophiles. So that is what you think of me." Leroy was trying his best to stay calm. "So you are saying that because we are gay and are now pedophiles that we are going to raise a gay, pedophile son. Then who raised us? Sue, who raised me? Are you calling yourself a pedophile and a Lesbian? Because you are saying, children, learn by association."

"I'm no such thing."

"Is Sarah? You are saying that Dave must have learned by association as well."

"No, Leroy, you are trying to turn the tables. You choose this lifestyle; you choose to be gay, and now you are going to push your views on that boy."

Leroy was doing well keeping his anger down, but he wanted to yell at her. "Sue, you are never going to get it. Neither Dave nor I choose to be gay. We were born this way. I was born this way. You just need to understand that you raised a homosexual son."

"No, no, no," Sue started. "Don't you dare put this on me. I didn't raise you to be this way. I raised a son. A son that liked to do everything a male does, not some fairy. David turned you. You said it yourself, he kissed you at sixteen, not the other way around. So all of this is David's fault."

Lee had been standing at his table, "Sue, you have gone too far."

"No, Dad, let me," Leroy stopped his father, took a step closer to Sue and lowered his voice. "Tell me, Sue. Tell me everything that you think that I do that disgusts you."

"You're living in sin, Leroy. I didn't teach you to be this way, so it must have been David. And now you're going to spread your sin onto this innocent child. How do I not know that you and David aren't touching him?" Leroy closed his eyes. He wanted to strangle Sue at this point, but he was trying hard to stay calm.

"Sue, I wanted your love, your understanding. I wanted my mother. But all that you are is a bigot that will never understand, and I don't need you in my life or my son's life or," Leroy put his arm around Dave, "or our life. Sue, you don't have to ever worry. You'll never, and I mean never, see any of us again. If I have to pick and choose which family functions that I come to, I will. I love all my siblings, and they can choose to have you in their lives but mark my word, from this day forward, you will never see us again. Don't ever step foot in my home. You are not welcome."

Leroy stepped around Sue and hugged Allison and told her they were leaving. Dave went and took Jason from Jeff and headed for the pool house to change. Leroy followed a few minutes later. Once they were all changed and were coming back through the table area, Sadie grabbed Leroy's hand. "Please stay."

Leroy looked down at his niece. "Sorry Babe, next time we will, but we need to leave." Aaron walked up beside his daughter. Leroy and Aaron just nodded, and Leroy turned away with Dave and Jason, and they walked through the house to the front. Dave and Leroy saw Lee and Sue arguing off to the side of the house in the front when they were getting in their car.

Dave's parents stopped Leroy from driving away. Leroy rolled down the windows, and Sarah stepped up to Dave's side. "Honey, I love you. I'm sorry for what Sue just said."

"Mom, you have no control over what comes out of that mouth of hers. We're just going to stay away from her from now on."

"I know, sweetie. Why don't you three come by on the next day you have off."

"Yeah mom, we will. I love you." Sarah reached in and squeezed Leroy's hand and kissed Dave on the cheek. Then she opened the back door and kissed Jason before Leroy drove away.

*

Lee walked to his car after telling Sue she would never understand. She watched him get in and drive away before she returned to the backyard. "Allison, can you give me a ride home later?"

"Where's Dad?" Allison asked.

"Gone. Your father said he'll be moved out by the time I get home, but I know your father will change his mind. He loves me and is just mad right now. He'll get over it like last time. I was going to ask Sarah and Dan to give me a ride, but apparently, they're mad at me too. They drove away and wouldn't even look at me."

"Mom, do you realize what you said?"

"I was only telling the truth."

Aaron stepped forward, "No mom, you were wrong today. You called Dave and Leroy child molesters. Mom, what were you thinking?"

"I said it is like a pedophile. That giving a child to a gay couple was like giving a child to a pedophile."

"Mom, you asked if they were touching Jason inappropriately. I can't believe you are lumping them into the same group. No wonder dad is moving out. I don't know how he made it this long with you," Aaron walked away, shaking his head. "You'll never get it until you drive all of us away."

"You can't talk to me like that."

Aaron didn't come back to start anything. He walked over to his family and told them to get ready to go.

"Mom, what you did to Dave and Leroy... you were just plain nasty to them," Allison responded.

"Can you take me home or not?"

"Yes mom, I'll take you home in a bit. Apparently dad needs a few moments to get his things."

"I'll wait in the living room since it seems no one is happy with me out here either," Sue left for the house.

Allison walked over to Aaron, "Don't leave. I'll take her home, and we can still have a nice time."

Jeff stepped up. "Allison, we love you, but let's try it in a few more weeks. I'm sure Dave will have another weekend day off soon. Mom just took the mood of the party away."

Everyone started packing up and helped Jason move all the lawn furniture to where it belonged along with the folding tables and chairs into the pool house. By the time all the guys did this, the kids were all changed back into shorts and t-shirts.

"Hey Allison?" Aaron called over to her. She was cleaning up some of the food, along with the other wives.

"Yeah?"

Aaron walked over to talk more quietly. "Leroy wants to know if Jason and he, along with my family, could come swim tomorrow."

"Of course, you all can, and it's open to anybody else. What time was he thinking?"

"Sometime after Dave left for work."

"Well, we do have tons of food leftover. Why doesn't everyone come back over by three?"

Some agreed that they could make it and some said they would try. Aaron texted Leroy back and told him to be here by three, knowing that he would be late as always. Then everyone hugged and went around the house. No one really wanted to talk to Sue before they left.

"No one wants to take Mom?" Allison asked as everyone was getting in their cars.

"We will, since we still live there," Jewels said while following Chris to his car.

"Do we have to?" Chris asked as his girlfriend got in the front seat. "Technically, we have a full car with Ann and Alissa." Alissa was Jewels's long-term girlfriend. "We could piss Mom off and just tell her about you two."

"Shut up Chris. Leroy warned me just to keep it to myself until I'm ready to move out. Since we can't afford to live out on our own yet, I can't tell mom."

"I forgot there are four of you. I will take Mom home," Allison responded. She watched everyone finish loading up and one by one drive away. She then turned toward the house, and there stood Sue.

"Not one of my children wanted to say goodbye to me?"

"Mom, you just offended Dave and Leroy in front of their son. You basically killed the mood of the party, and you expect them to hug and say goodbye to you? Even the other grandchildren were upset with you." Allison could see the hurt in Sue's eyes, but choose to ignore it. "I'll go get my purse and take you."

"I'll wait in your car."

*

Halfway home, Jason started crying in the car. "What's wrong, Jason?" Leroy asked.

"I wanted to swim more."

"How about we go back to Aunt Allison's tomorrow?"

"Really?"

"Yeah, and I'll even ask Uncle Aaron to bring Sadie, Tyler, and Zack. Will that make up for leaving early today?"

Jason sniffled but smiled, "Yeah."

By the time they arrived home, Jason was asleep in his car seat, so Leroy carried him in and put him in his bed to nap. It was only five, so they didn't want him to sleep long. They wanted him to sleep that night, so they decided to wake him by five-thirty or so.

When Leroy walked back into the family room, Dave was sitting on the couch. Leroy dropped down beside him. "I'm proud of you, Babe. You didn't raise your voice, but I'm sorry that Sue is this way."

"Honey, I'm sorry that she said those awful things about you. I should have severed the ties a long time ago. I still don't know why I wanted her love. Her hatred is all I see now, and I'm not going to let Jason grow up in that. We have your parents and my father, and that is enough grandparents for Jason."

"Honey, it wasn't just to me. She said, them about you as well. Honey, I'm sorry that you can't have a relationship with your mother, but have you really finally severed the tie? Because, Honey, she will never be in Jason's nor my presence again. I'm not going to allow our son near that woman again."

"Yes, I have, and no, she will never be near our son again, even if it means that I'll have to see all my siblings separately. If Sue wants to be at family events, then we won't be. I love you, Dave, and I love Jason too much to put you through that again."

Dave and Leroy sat there and cuddled up to one another. They knew they needed to go and wake Jason, but they just wanted to sit there in silence for a few more minutes. The doorbell rang, and Dave told Leroy he would get it so Leroy could wake Jason. Dave was surprised to open the door to Lee. Lee walked in and hugged Dave, "I'm sorry for Sue's behavior."

"Dad, it's not your fault. Sue is never going to change," Dave responded. He had been trying to remember to call him Dad since Leroy, and he got married. Lee had insisted on it.

Leroy came walking out with Jason. "Papa," Jason smiled, and he ran over to Lee. Lee also smiled and picked him up.

"Come on in, Dad. Let's sit in the family room. Would you like anything to drink?" Dave asked.

"Coffee, if you got it."

"Was about to make a pot. Have a seat, Dad," Leroy responded. Dave, Lee, and Jason went into the family room while Leroy went into the kitchen to make a pot. While it was brewing, Leroy sat down next to Dave.

"Dave, Leroy, I've something to ask you, and if you need to say no. I will understand."

Leroy saw the worry in his dad's face and was concerned about what this visit was about. "What's going on, dad?"

"I moved out of the house tonight. I was wondering if I could stay here until I found a place to live."

Dave spoke up before Leroy could even open his mouth, "Dad, of course you can stay here. You could stay here as long as you need, forever if you wanted." Dave wasn't lying. He actually liked having Lee around.

"I don't want to stay forever, just until I find my own place. I'm not going to cramp your lifestyle," Lee smiled.

"Dad, please stay as long as you need. Dave and I both would love having you around, and I'm sure Jason would too."

"Thank you, Sons." When Jason started to play with his toys, Lee took that moment to ask Leroy to help him get his things from the car. They brought in a few suitcases of clothes and a few boxes of personal items. They sat him up in the spare bedroom, and Leroy helped put his clothes away as Jason jumped up and down on the bed. "Papa, going to stay? Papa, going to stay?"

"Yup, Jason, Papa is going to stay," Leroy responded while laughing at his son's enthusiasm.

Leroy had the hardest time getting Jason to settle down and go to bed that night. Lee had to come in and hug and kiss his grandson before he would finally go to sleep. Dave and Lee were talking in the living room when Leroy finally came out.

"Son, I know you are wondering why I'm here."

"Well, you moved out of the house again. I can figure out that you are mad at Sue for what she said today," Leroy responded.

"Mad doesn't even begin to cover it. son, I can't live with that anymore. She is never going to understand that with her words alone, she is going to alienate everyone. I love you, Leroy. I love Dave and Jason more than I do my own wife."

"I love you, dad, but dad, I don't want you choosing me over your marriage."

"Leroy, Sue and I have been done for a while now. I should have told the family. I've been sleeping in your old room since Sue's accident. It's just time that we get divorced. The hatred that she has. I never thought she could turn it on her own child, and I'm sorry Leroy that she has."

"Dad, it's okay. I love you, and you have taken a stand against her for me. That, to me, is enough of an apology. Dave was not lying to you, dad. You can stay here forever if you want."

Lee laughed, "Hopefully, not forever, but if you can stand an old man here for a while, I would love to stay."

When they all went to bed that night, Dave and Leroy talked a little while in bed. They decided that even though Lee was going to be living there, they weren't turning him into the babysitter. Lee should be able to do whatever he would like day or night.

Leroy did get up and check in on Jason and then came back to the bedroom and shut the door.

"Are you a frisky tonight, Leroy?"

"Is it wrong?"

"No, get your ass over here," Dave said before Leroy could say anything else.

Leroy turned off the light and grabbed the lube off the top shelf and jumped in the bed. They had learned to make love as quietly as can be over the few months after they started date night. They had learned there are a few golden hours in a night when they can almost guarantee that Jason will not wake up and they took advantage of that time.

Always when they finished, they would get up right away to clean up, dress in sleeping attire, reopen the door, and then cuddle until they fell asleep in one another's arms.

The next morning, Jason didn't come in and wake them. When Leroy woke at eleven, he jumped up and ran to see what was wrong. He found Jason watching cartoons and playing on the floor while his Dad was sitting in the chair, reading a newspaper and drinking coffee.

"Did you two sleep well?" Lee asked as Dave came up behind Leroy.

"Yeah dad, you didn't have to keep Jason from us this morning. He has sort of become my alarm clock," Leroy responded.

"Well, you and Dave looked tired last night, and I knew Dave worked today. So when Jason came into my room this morning, we agreed not to wake you. But don't worry. It won't always be like this," Lee smiled at his sons.

"Just as long as you don't make it a habit, dad," Leroy smiled. "Dad, it's up to you, but I'm taking Jason back to Allison's today to swim if you would like to come."

"Would love that, Leroy."

Leroy started getting around stuff to prepare lunch. Since he didn't know if he would be home from Allison's in time for Dave's dinner, Leroy asked if Dave wanted a packed meal or if he wanted to go out. Dave just told him that he would grab something and not to worry.

Most of the siblings showed back up over Allison's. Leroy wasn't expecting that but was happy to visit and talk with all of them. He did apologize for causing the party to go south the day before, and they all told him it wasn't his fault. They couldn't believe Sue had gone to that extreme. They were also happy that Lee moved in with Dave, Leroy, and Jason for the time being.

When everyone finally left Allison's it was after nine, and Leroy was carrying a very tired Jason to the car, followed by an exhausted Lee, he was run from here to there by the grandkids. Lee loved it, even though he tried to get the grandkids to back off a bit. When Leroy got them home, Lee went to his bed to sleep, and Leroy took Jason to his bedroom, it didn't take long reading a bedtime story, and Jason fell right to sleep.

Leroy cleaned a little to keep himself busy trying to stay up for Dave. He sat down on the living room sofa and fell asleep waiting for Dave.

*

Over the following few weeks, everyone pretty much got into a routine. Lee would wake up to Jason staring at him. They would both agree not to wake Dave and Leroy. Sometimes Lee would even take Jason out for breakfast. Jason always wanted pancakes.

Lee would beg to watch Jason and send Dave and Leroy out for lunch or dinner, so they could have their alone time. Lee asked Dave when the next day that he had a weekday off. Dave informed him that he had Wednesday of the following week off. Lee had thanked him and the next day called a lawyer's office and made an appointment for that following Wednesday. He asked Leroy if he would mind going with him.

"Dad, are you sure you want to do this? You two have been married 37 years," Leroy asked while they were sitting in the waiting room before their appointment.