Stories

Andrew and Eric, wrapped in the warmth of a sunset, share a quiet moment together. As their easy conversation shifts, Eric asks about Andrew's past, hoping to learn more. Reluctant at first, Andrew finally opens up, recounting a vulnerable and intimate story about his first love—an encounter with a closeted athlete that shaped his view on relationships and self-worth. As Andrew reveals the bittersweet lessons of his past, the bond between him and Eric deepens. Together, they reaffirm their commitment to building an honest and loving future, unburdened by the ghosts of yesterday.

When Robert returns to Vancouver for a business trip, he unexpectedly reconnects with Zach, an old high school friend now working as a barista at a popular coffee shop. What starts as casual catching up leads to deeper conversations, forcing both men to confront the missed opportunities, regrets, and unresolved emotions of their past. As Robert begins to explore his long-hidden feelings, and Zach tries to heal from personal loss, the lines between friendship and something more begin to blur. Can they seize this second chance, or will the past prove too difficult to overcome?

Doesn't everyone hate Mondays? Julian Palmer would normally agree without hesitation until one particular Monday threatens to turn his life on its head.

Sometimes trying times are most rewarding.

This is a semi-autobiographic slice-of-life story about coming home and moving on.

Joshua is living the American Dream, but he knows that his perfect life in the Land of Lincoln is a lie. Things are about to take a major turn, and all it will take is some click bait, a dead president, and an empty bottle of Scotch. A coming out story, and a reflection on mankind's inalienable rights. (Read time: ~ 1 hour)

Losing a parent is never easy, especially when someone slips away slowly. Family can help or hinder the process. This is one man's perspective of losing his mom.

This story is a prequel and sequel to my previous story, ‘The Boy on the Porch.’ While that was mostly Brendan’s point of view, this will be from the members of the Taft family's perspectives. It will cover things that happened before Nick was kicked out of his house, hit the necessary high points of what was covered in the first story, then continue on with their later lives, expanding on their pieces of the epilogue contained therein. I initially envisioned it to be Nick's story, but quickly determined it would be fairly short, so they all get some attention.

Will Felix succumb to the surrounding flames of his life, or will he rise from the ashes like the phoenix born again?

Prompt #385 –

Brendan Nelson had a tough week at work. He is a Project Manager at a small software company. Nothing went well on his current project. The last delivery to QA (Quality Assurance) was a total failure, the techs couldn't even install it. Add to that, a serious problem in the development of a new feature arose. Finally, on top of that, the customer was screaming about a bug that hadn't been fixed for months, and now it apparently crashed the system. As if things weren't bad at work, he had to come home to a surprise.

Newly coming to terms with being gay, following an abusive childhood and a failed relationship with a girlfriend, electrician Keith meets Thomas, who runs a local arts charity. Despite coming from vastly differing backgrounds, the two discover much in common, not least the need to come to terms with complex relationships to their fathers. But they also learn to enjoy exploring life together.