Want so bad to find this story

[CyclingJ]

Not sure if this is the right place for this, but not sure where else to post.

 

I've been looking so hard and for a long time for the fiction collection that has this story. I think it was written sometime between 1990 and 2005.

 

Plot as I remember it: A dying uncle is visiting various people in the family before he passes away, and the story takes place as he is visiting his nephew, who is gay and has a partner, and seems to be rather ostracized from the family. I think the uncle's wife had already passed away.

 

The uncle relates his memories of a summer (or spring?) long ago when he was just a boy. The carnival came to town, and he made friends with a boy from the carnival. They spent a lot of time together playing as kids do. Then one day the carnival is leaving. Before the boy leaves, they share a kiss, and the uncle remembers the boy's breath smelling like fresh cut hay (or grass?). And then the summer was over.

 

This short story touched me deeply, but I made the mistake of not writing down the book/author details. If you have any information about this story, or the anthology it was in, please email me: cyclingjackal@gmail.com

 

It would mean a lot to me to find this. Thanks.

[Graeme]

Sorry, I don't know the story, but I'm moving the thread to the Story Cafe where, hopefully, you'll get the answer.

 

I'll leave a link in the original forum, too.

 

Graeme

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