Wayne Gray

Hi, Tom. Thanks for reading. They all proceed along their paths, and they're becoming more and more intertwined... all of them. The kids take their places too, a part of something that becomes so much bigger than it started. Next chapter is a bit of a whopper.

Hi, Danilo. Thanks for writing. Sorry about those allergies. FYI, I give those damn things to myself sometimes too! I'm glad you liked Patrick's reveal. I wanted that moment filtered through the characters' perspectives. Those are imperfect, and I like that. There's more to come. Hang on until Wednesday, you can do it!

Thanks, Chris. Those kids and others like them are really the reason that Greg started the campground. There’s more coming for them, certainly.

Amen to that. Yes... Greg found it unacceptable to be without Clay any longer than he absolutely had to. He has the means to fix it, and he is going to act to do so. Thanks for reading and commenting, Geemeedee. 🙂

Thanks, Dave! They’re all good people trying to carve a place for themselves. Greg masterminded it, but the rest help make it all work.

Ah, thank you, tim! I really love this story, and it’s truly gratifying that others do as well.❤️

Thanks, tim. Clay has a plan, and thanks to Greg, he can actually act on it. Of course, Greg is also the reason for his early retirement in the first place too. The campground really is a refuge for him and his love. They have many hopes and dreams, and they're both working hard toward them. There's more to come. I'm glad you like the story. 🙂

Yep, those situations are messy as hell. There has to be agreement, transparency, and communication between everyone involved. It's just the way I choose to live. Thanks, rick.

Thanks, Mike. I'm really happy you're enjoying the story. Life will be good, and that's thanks to all those plans made.

Thank you for reading and commenting. The nice words are appreciated. My favorite things to write are dialogue and the subtle interactions between characters that show emotional developments. This story has those things in spades. It's playing to my strengths, and I'll admit that. I am happy that you're enjoying it. There's a lot more to come for all of our campers. Next chapter is due on Wednesday, so stick around.

Thanks for the comments, droughtquake. And... noooooo... these kids are not "perfect". All have problems born of their upbringing, or home situations. But all still deserve and need love. Jeremy tries hard. He runs a program that is the lifeline for about a dozen troubled GLBTQ youth, and he truly cares about them. Concerning Mason and Patrick - so, our training in medicine is to respect how someone presents. If we have doubts, we ask before we use pronouns. I've found that works in life too, away from the medical clinic. People who are often misgendered truly appreciate the tiny amount of extra effort spent to do it right.

Thanks for commenting, Fae. It's a beautiful song - it really is. It's something many of us have felt... helpless to avoid the hazardous thing called love. Sorry about the tears, Fae. We're finally at the point where the kids are about. Nothing will ever be the same now. 🙂

Thanks, Mike. I do feel things are right, and Kevin seems to as well. We talk a lot about it, check in periodically, just to make sure things are all right with us both and us as husbands. You're absolutely right. You have to be honest, you have to respect one another, and you've got to be clear when things aren't going the way you want them to go. It's the only way this can possibly work.

Thanks, Fae. You're right. I want to be able to describe myself in a few words, to show I "belong". It's thanks to that need to fit into those boxes. But, DemiGay will never quite describe me. And that's all right. 🙂

Thanks, tim. I think it bothers many - the stretching of the definition of "happily married". But I am. It took a lot of trust and work for us to get here, but it was worth the effort. It ended up teaching me things about myself, my husband, and our life together. I'm glad you're on your own journey. Thanks for sharing too. xo

May 23 (Wednesday) Mason stood in the shower stall with the water cascading down his body. His mouth was open, and he leaned, hands against the wall, face down. As the days went on his nausea had increased. He knew it was a possible side-effect of his medication, and so far he had managed to keep it controlled with bland food and munching on celery. Today was the worst it had been. He breathed in and out and slowly conquered his body's desire to empty the contents of his stomach. Finally

Warning: If relationships that include sex with others apart from committed partners offends you then skip this entry. Like so many of us who have a non-hetero identity, I've done a lot of research on sexuality. I've also researched for stories I write (particularly the one I'm currently posting, Camp Refuge). One that I discovered while researching was demisexuality. Here's urban dictionary's definition of it, and it works pretty well. https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Demisexual In my younger days I had a lot of fun with many partners over the years (thank you, US Navy). I never had any issues having sex with people I met for weekends in Seattle, or with other sailors. It was all fun, physically satisfying, and a simple physical release. No connection was needed or wanted on anybody's part. Now, after nine years of being with my husband, we've opened things up. We include others when we're comfortable, and I get a lot of joy watching my husband have a great time with others. But... I don't often get to join. Objectively, I can look at these men and say to myself "Yes, they're handsome by societal standards. Hot, even." But there's no... fire for me. It seemed my days of just hooking up were gone. Then Sam happened. We met Sam in August, and we were both interested in him. Sam showed a lot of interest in both of us, but I felt as if he focused a bit more on me. I wanted so badly to make things happen with him, and... after a while, they did. But he had to be patient, sweet, and thoughtful. He was all of that. When we said goodbye to him later, he asked if he could see us again. Mind you, he lives three hours south of us on a farm. So, that he'd ask was a happy surprise. He came back in September and this time he spent the whole weekend. I found myself trusting him a bit more, reassured by his continued patience; as a result, things were firing on all cylinders. At the end of his visit, he asked again if he could come see us. He's due back next week. We're excited to see him, and more, I'm pretty sure he has taught me something about myself. Between Sam's visits, my husband and I have enjoyed the company of other men. I truly do enjoy them, but mainly that enjoyment comes from watching my husband have a great time. Sam is different. I can be with him in a similar way that I do my husband, and that made me wonder. I wonder if I could have slowly shifted to need that emotional connection before I can really physically enjoy someone. Can a person go from homosexual to DemiGay? https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=DemiGay That's not an official sexuality, but it fits. It's a lot to think through, it's a lot to consider. But, I do know this: I'm really looking forward to next week.

Knowing life ends gives the living of it meaning. I think the last poem gives voice to that - at least it does for me. Nice work, tim.

Thanks, Tom. Organic, natural, and smooth is the goal. I wanted the reader to watch as our guys learn lessons, and in the process do a little learning too. I did work hard on that aspect of the story - how to make the educational stuff fit and apply. I'm glad it seems to flow well. 🙂

Greg is fearful of who will show up if he advertised widely (remember, he's from Alabama, and has literally been tortured for being Gay!). He's counting on word of mouth getting out from those who appreciate the mission of the campground. Also, this stretch of road has many campgrounds. It's well known already, this area, as a camping destination. People drive the road, see a sign, and turn in hoping to land a spot. None of the campgrounds advertise, and they all fill up. Sit back and relax. We'll see what develops.

Thanks for writing, Jeffrey. The idea of doing what Greg engineered has been a dream of mine for a while. I'd love to do it. It's my top lottery dream. There's more coming. Stay tuned, and we'll get there.

I missed replying to this one. Sorry about that! I had hoped that this story would spark informed conversations and that's happening. It's awesome, and I'm so glad people are willing to talk about their situations so that others can know the truth of living with HIV. Thank you for adding your voice to those above. People need to know, and they need to understand - because understanding is the fear-killer.

I'm sorry I missed this comment! Thank you for taking the time to put down a few words. Great to hear you're enjoying it, tabaqui!

Awww. I guess after Guarded I have a rep for being terrible to my characters! Okay... it's a little deserved. 😄 Thanks for commenting and reading, James. I'm glad you're relieved that Clay is okay. He's a pretty capable guy, so we'll just have to have faith that he'll be all right. Stay tuned. More is on the way. 🙂

Ahhh, thank you for calling this out! I really tried to get it done so it was natural - so that it just fit. I wanted it to feel like a conversation you’d want to have, not one forced on you. 🏳️‍🌈