Wayne Gray

God, that scene... it had been a while since I had seen it. I watched it again and am reminded of my own letter to my mom. I remember... twenty-one-years old, gripping that envelope so tightly that my thumb and finger whitened from the force - knowing I'd never be able to go back. It took everything in me to let it fall into the mailbox, but I did. I did my part. I guess I should have expected the silence I got back. But it still stung. It still does. Thanks, Fae.

I think Kent deserves his happiness too. He's finding that with Stanley, who... in my opinion, also deserves a bit of happy in his life. Markus, oof. Yeah, he's not doing so hot right now. Nate never set out to save anything or anybody. Then he meets Tad, and suddenly his selfishly centered world-view is challenged in a way such that he can't reconcile it with how he feels. His attraction to Christopher is, in his eyes, an unwelcome complication. But not to Tad. To Tad, it is something he clings to. It's both a hope and a fear - Tad really has no desire to be utterly alone, and losing Nate would be a terrible blow. Tad's unselfish, but he's human and he has a need to be connected to someone. At the end... when Nate says he won't choose Christopher over Tad, Tad smiles because of that humanness. That Nate would still choose him, as evanescent as things between them promise to be... it shows just how deep it truly is, the love that Nate has for him. And that is why Tad smiles. Thank you for reading and commenting. There's more coming this Wednesday/Thursday.

A truer thing has never been said, "People are complicated..." That's certainly the case with our guys here. I knew this relationship, and Nate's role in it, in particular would throw some folks. The old single partner dynamic is held as the ultimate truth in "good" relationships. I'm out to show that's not necessarily the only way. Markus is having it ROUGH. He's trying and failing to really find a support system. Kent is growing into his own skin. Something about the dynamic with Stanley fits for him, and the people around him are noticing that he's different somehow. Confidence will do that to a guy. Thanks, Parker. I appreciate your comments and the time you spent reading. 🙂

Hehehe. Yeah... I wanted the reader to feel the intense need, the momentum of their attraction, and the emotion of it all. I'm happy that it was good enough to be distracting. 🙂 This is the first time I've written a relationship like this. It's just how the story happened - a natural evolution in how the three men interact with one another. I like it. Thanks, @Thorn Wilde! As you know, there's a lot more on the way.

When I wrote this everything felt compressed. Everything felt as if it were happening so fast, and so emotionally. But think about the scenario - where time is the defining factor. All of these men are being pushed forward, toward some final disposition where the world goes on while Tad is gone. Before that happens, yeah - Tad does seem deserving of their love, doesn't he? Thanks for writing, @Danilo Syrtis. Stay with me. There's so much more for them.

Thank you, @Timothy M.! Nate was trying to be honest with Tad, but Tad beat him to the punch. Though he was far gentler about it than Nate expected, or thinks he deserves. Tad is so... filled with grace, I think. He has this calm acceptance of how things will be (most days), and he tries to set those he loves on paths that will benefit them after he's gone. He's trying to leave a legacy - one of love.

Thanks, @Canuk! Christopher found that it's not in him to wall himself completely off, and Nate needed more from Chris than a listening ear. There's more coming. 🙂

Tad is somewhat conflicted. He's human. He is so strong, but he's scared too. He had convinced himself that he could do things alone, that he could handle it. Then Nate came into his life, and now Tad needs him. That's why Tad asks Nate if he has enough room for them both. Tad is... amazing. He's the most selfless character I've ever written. But he's still frightened of what is coming, and he doesn't want to do it alone. Thanks for reading and commenting, Chris.

Monday came far too early for Kent. But he rolled out of bed, showered, put himself together, and walked to the bookstore. Luckily, he lived in Eureka, and though it was a long walk, he could manage to do it in a half hour. His car was still in the shop and would be until a little after lunch. Liz said she'd take him there on her lunch break, and then he'd have wheels again. He would miss one of his afternoon classes at Humboldt State today, but a single absence wasn't going to hurt him too much

Productive. Satisfying. Fun. Now if weekends were only five days long, I'd be truly happy.

Evenin', Mac. I hope your day treated you well.

At least I own it. Lol

I’ll have you know, I’m pure as Old snow in a busy dog park!

Is that your pet name for... No. No, I’ll be good. *twitch*

Hi, @Danilo Syrtis. Thanks for reading and commenting. It's great to hear that you enjoy my work. This story... yes, it's an emotional rollercoaster. As you've seen, all three of these guys have feelings of some sort for one another. Lucky for us, Tad isn't a jealous guy. Though, he also didn't watch Nate shave his ex-boyfriend. That may be pushing things, even for him. 😉 Nate has changed. Love really does change people, and he absolutely loves Tad. Stay with me. Next chapter comes tomorrow, and... wow. It's a big one!

That’s awesome. ❤️🏳️‍🌈❤️

It’s a beautiful place. It’s easy to write nice things about it. 😊

Do the right thing for yourself, whatever that might be. You’re worth that.

You got this, Mac. A few more hours and you can sit with a tumbler of whiskey.

Thanks. But it's a sad substitute for the real thing. You ever make it out this way, let me know. We'll show you around the county. 🙂

It is, Reader. Thank you. There are parts I'd like to change, but not the closeness to nature and the peacefulness of it.

The quiet and solemn nature of it... that is something which I love. Though, there's something to be said for a city - where you can find whatever you want. Except... maybe peace.

It is. I love this place a lot. 🙂

Diabetes affects so much of the body. Joints, eyes, cardiovascular system, etc. Keeping average blood sugar (Hemoglobin A1c) down is imperative to avoiding issues or mitigating them. Yeah... three years is a hell of a long time to wait to feel better. You'll recover quicker from surgery. A lot. Best of luck.

I have to agree with tim on this one. Do what is right for your health, Mike. Surgery is never fun, but sometimes it's the only answer.