As September comes to a close, Les’s house is finished.  All the special-order tiles and cabinets have arrived and are installed. Thursday night, after a day of moving in, Les and Phoebe just walk across the drive to join the group for dinner. Afterward, they all troop back to Les’s to have a tour.  Sam is embarrassed at all the praise Les is bestowing on him as they enter each room. She is pointing out all the details of...

Mark has jumped over some of the highest hurdles bringing Brian into his world and entering Brian’s a bit too.  Letting people know his inclinations and choices eases Mark’s usual stress a lot.  The sessions with James are bringing out things from his past and his father.  In sessions that include Brian, they address issues they face together as they build a solid relationship. The next biggest mountain to conquer is intr...

Brian, when talking with Abbie on Friday night, quietly thanked her for helping Mark get to this point.  And how pleased he is that Mark’s friends are so accepting and welcoming.  There are more hoops Mark still has to jump through, and Brian hopes Abbie and Tim could be at Wilde Peacock tomorrow afternoon.  Brian is going to take Mark there for the first time. Abbie laughs, telling Brian he will be introducing Mark to th...

So much has happened since last Friday night and Mark’s outburst.  For all who had been there on different levels. Monday afternoon, about the same time Tim, Matt and Peter finish their meeting at Microga; Mark arrives for his appointment with James at Pathways.  He does not see Abbie today.  Mark feels bad as he wants to apologize to her in person for his bad behavior on Friday. Mark’s time with James, relating how he an...

Tim and Abbie 62:  The celebration at Peter and Sarah’s house Oblivious to what is happening elsewhere this evening, on his way home, Peter makes a similar stop but at an off-license instead.  Purchasing a top-shelf bottle of Scotch to celebrate his news about his new position at Microga. Arriving home early, Sarah greets him with a look of concern on her face about what might have happened.  Seeing Peter raise the bottle...

Getting off earlier than usual after the positive ending to their meeting, Matt makes one quick stop on his way home to share the news with Martha.  The stop is to get some sparkling grape juice to toast the new job.  With Martha unable to drink as now within days of her due date, sparkling juice will have to do. Arriving home, he takes Martha in his arms and spins her around while kissing her.  She could see the exciteme...

Monday morning, Matt and Peter speak shortly before work starts about the meeting later that day.  They trust Tim and know he will not do anything to jeopardize their jobs.  But how much should they tell?  Both agree they would see how things go in the meeting and who all is there. At the break at ten, Matt and Peter meet again and hurry to get out of their coveralls.  Both wear suits today, at the insistence of Martha an...

Luke and Mary have been together the longest of the four couples, first meeting when six years old when their families moved next door to each other.  All through school, they were inseparable, walking to school together, playing in the afternoon, and in and out of each other’s houses all the time. By secondary school and now sixteen, they were exploring more and more of each other.  It did not take long after they blew o...

Matt and Martha spend the weekend with Matt assembling the baby crib as Martha reads the directions.  Martha is days away from her due date, so while agreeing to wait for this part until absolutely, completely, and totally sure, it is time to be positive and anticipate the coming event. Graduating fifteen years ago, Matt began working at different jobs, nothing offering opportunities towards the future.  Martha, meanwhile...

Les and Phoebe have no real concerns about Mark and Brian.  They know Brian from the Peacock and feel he is a gentleman.  Mark, they only know about from what Grace, Tim, and Sam disclose to them Friday night.  Grace, Tim, and Sam tell Les and Phoebe about what went on earlier.  They mention the incident in terms of their concern about how it affects Abbie. Les and Phoebe hope it all has a good outcome.  For themselves, t...

Brian opens the door to Mark standing there with his head down, trying not to cry.  “This is for you,” Mark says as he hands Brian the note of apology.  “I know you probably don’t want to see me, but I am truly sorry for what I did.  I understand how wrong it is, and I can only try not to in the future.” Mark rubs his sleeve across his eyes and nose to catch the tears now falling like a young boy.  He starts to turn to le...

Brian is a highly intelligent and educated man.  His high-level job at the bank requires him to make decisions quickly and decisively.  He has a gentle authority which made others accept his requests and decisions without question.  His humor is quietly made but always on target. Others might take a second to understand but then laugh heartily at the joke. At forty-two, appearance-wise, Brian always is well-dressed and ap...

Draining the water from the tub, Mark fills it again with hot water.  His tears are still flowing.  He is not ready to get out of the bath yet.  His life has changed so much being with Brian.  Mark knows that at times he acts like a teenage girl having her first big crush.  Mark can’t explain it even to himself.  Brian is the world to him.  Never has he felt so alive and like he finally is in the right place.  Mark knows...

A cab drops Mark off at his apartment.  The rain is finally ending, but Mark is still rather wet as he enters his apartment.  He hurries to the bathroom and sheds his wet clothes.  Drawing a hot bath, Mark grabs his phone in the futile hopes that Brian had called or texted.  Nothing. The tears start to fill Mark’s eyes again.  ‘Why the hell am I so emotional?’ Mark chastises himself.  He can’t help himself.  Mark has neve...

The rain begins to let up some, and even Mark’s tears are pretty much cried out.  Sitting looking straight ahead, he can see the lights being turned off in the pub. It is after midnight now.  How could things change so much in a matter of a few hours?  At six pm, Mark and Brian were getting ready for the evening out.  Brian was coming to the sports pub first to see who Mark’s friend Tim is.  Since spring, Brian comes to t...