A Friendship Lost and Found - 2. Chapter 2: College and a Fresh Start

When I arrived for college orientation, I was surprised when one of the coaches approached me during a break.

“Hello, I’m Coach Packard and I was informed that you were on your high school swim team, so I took the liberty of contacting your high school coach to find out how he evaluated your ability in the pool. He told me you were one of his strongest swimmers and you had great work habits. He also said you were extremely competitive, so I’m hoping you’ll be willing to join our squad. What do you think about the idea?”

“Well, I enjoyed being on the swim team in high school, but the courses I’m taking here are going to be much more difficult than the ones I took in high school. To be honest, I want to get good grades and not have to worry about getting put on probation or flunking out.”

“What if I assure you that I’ll make certain that won’t happen? Practices and meets are scheduled so they shouldn’t interfere with your class schedule, and if by some chance they do, I’ll work with the registrar to place you into another section of the conflicting course. Not only that, but if you’re having problems with any of your classes, I’ll see to it that you’re assigned a tutor to work with you.”

“I guess I could give it a try then, as long as you know that my classwork comes first.”

“And that’s the way it should be.”

He then told me when to show up for the first practice and explained the college would provide everything I needed. I was actually kind of excited about competing again.

As it turned out, I enjoyed the diversion from my studies that being on the swim team offered, and it didn’t interfere with anything either. It merely meant that I didn’t have time to participate in the myriad of social activities that so many of the other freshmen were involved in, but that was fine with me. I’d basically been a loner during high school, except for the writing club and swim team. And even though there were others involved in both of those activities, I didn’t really interact with any of them outside of those undertakings, just like I was doing now.

Before the first meet, the coach came up to me to let me know which events I’d be competing in.

“I believe you’ll help the team the most by swimming in the 100-yard freestyle and the first leg of the 200-yard relay. How do you feel about doing that?”

“It sounds good to me.”

I was actually thrilled that he was letting me compete in an individual event, because I thought he might only use me in the relays.

I did fairly well in our first few meets, either winning or coming close in the individual event. Our relay team was also doing well and I was holding my own with the older members of the squad, so I was feeling good.

Near the end of the season, the team was involved in a tournament with several other teams. Prior to getting ready to compete, I spotted someone I recognized and asked the coach if I could go over to speak with him.

“Ok, but do it quickly.”

I hurried over to where the person was and spoke.

“Gavin, I didn’t expect to see you here. Ummm, I’d also like to know if you’re avoiding me.”

“No! What gave you that impression?”

“Well, I texted you a few times and you never replied and I called you a few more times after that and you let each call go to voicemail.”

“Oh, I wasn’t avoiding you. You see, I’d either lost my phone or it was stolen over the summer, and knowing how my parents were going to react, I spent a couple of days looking for it. When I didn’t find it, I finally admitted to my parents what had happened. They gave me a lecture about responsibility and then made me do without a phone for a while longer to teach me a lesson. When they finally bought me another phone, it didn’t have my contact list saved, so I didn’t know how to get a hold of you. I was hoping you’d either call or text me, but you must have done that before I got the new phone and then given up trying to get in touch with me. I know I should have written your phone number down somewhere in case something like that happened, but trust me, I wasn’t avoiding you.”

“Damn, that makes me feel a lot better because I thought maybe you got upset with me after you read my second story.”

“No, I didn’t, but I’d like to talk to you about that later, when we have more time.”

“Yeah, ok. So, what events are you in?”

“I’m in the 100-yard backstroke and I swim the backstroke leg in the 400-yard medley relay.”

“What made you choose the backstroke?”

“Coach said that was where the team was weakest and needed help, so he asked if I’d be interested in swimming in those events.”

“If you enjoy the backstroke, I guess it worked out for everyone.” I then told him the events I’d be in, and I also took a few well-timed glances at the front of his swimsuit and noticed an impressive bulge. “If we can manage it, I’d like to get together with you after the meet so I can give you my phone number again. I’m hoping we’ll be able to keep in touch from now on.”

“Yeah, that would be great and I’m sorry you got the wrong idea about what was happening.”

“Hey, at least now I know that wasn’t the case, but now I’ve got to head back to my team. Good luck on your events.”

“Thanks, and good luck on your events too. What if I meet you outside the locker room when this is over so you can give me your phone number again?”

“Yeah, that will work, so I’ll see you then.”

The meet lasted over four hours in total and I swam my individual event in the first hour. After that was completed, I had to wait quite a while before I swam in the relay, but it gave me time to recuperate. I then had another long wait before the meet ended and I watched when Gavin swam in his events, but I couldn’t cheer for him since he was competing against one of my teammates. I’m certain he was watching when I swam my heats as well.

When the meet ended and the final team standings were announced, Gavin’s school finished in second place while my team suffered a disappointing third place finish. I felt that I’d done well in both of my events, so I was satisfied, but no one on my team spoke above a whisper in the locker room.

As soon as I’d washed off the chlorine from the pool, I put on my other clothes and went out to find Gavin. He showed up a few seconds later.

“I don’t have long,” he said when he arrived, “because the coach warned us that we’d be loading onto the bus soon, so let’s get this done.”

I knew the same was true for me as he handed me his phone so I could enter my name and phone number into his contact list. After I finished, we talked briefly.

“You still have the same number, don’t you?” I asked.

“Yeah, so now we’ll be able to text and call each other again and we’ll keep in touch,” Gavin stated.

“Yeah, but let’s only do it on the weekends, because I’m afraid we’ll get carried away if we also do it during the week. I just don’t want it to affect my grades.”

“That’s probably a wise precaution.”

As soon as we finished, we hurried to get back with our teams, since neither of us wanted to get left behind. The meet hadn’t taken place at either of our campuses and we didn’t want to miss the bus and then have to find our own way back. I was certain our coaches would take a head count before the bus pulled out, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.

There was no horseplay or jocularity on the bus during the ride back to campus. Everyone was quietly reflecting on his performance, but I also used the opportunity to consider how fortunate I was that Gavin wasn’t upset with me after reading my second story. Not only that, but now I could keep in touch with him again.

I texted him the following weekend to see how he was doing, and I also tried to ask him what he thought of my second story. He said he wanted to talk about it, rather than text, but his roommate was there and he wanted to do it in private. Therefore, we agreed on a time when he would call later and we’d both make sure we were alone so we could talk freely.

That happened later on Saturday, because we both knew our roommates would be going out with their friends. I got myself a drink and placed it on my desk and waited for him to call.

“Ok, we can talk about your story now,” he said as soon as I answered. “Did you just make up the situation your main character was in, or were you projecting what you were going through onto that character?”

“I guess you could say I was projecting.”

“So, you’re gay and you’ve always had a crush on me?”

“Yeah, I’m gay and I think what I felt for you was more than merely a crush. I loved you, but not just as my best friend or like a brother. That’s why I thought you got upset with me when you read the story.”

“Actually, I was flattered, and I have a confession to make as well. I’m also gay.”

“You are?”

“Yes, and I also loved you back then and I still love you.”

“You do?”

“Yes, but I was afraid to tell you as well. I used to look forward to when we stayed over at each other’s house, because I enjoyed seeing you naked when we took a bath together. I also liked sleeping in the same bed with you and listening to you breathe until I fell asleep. I was also very tempted to cuddle with you, but I never did.”

“I loved doing those things with you too, but I didn’t realize I was in love with you until we were in fourth grade. Oh, I knew I liked doing that other stuff with you, but at first I thought I loved you because you were my best friend, or maybe I loved you like a brother. I didn’t realize that I had a sexual attraction to you until just before you moved away. In fact, if you hadn’t moved away I probably would have talked you into fooling around with me.”

“Damn, now I’m even more upset that my dad got a new job, because I wanted to do those things with you as well. I’ve never had a chance to do anything like that with another boy, but I think that was mostly due to the fact that I wanted to do those things with you, not with anyone else.”

“Yeah, I haven’t done anything either and I think it was pretty much for the same reason. I only wanted to do those things with you.”

“I wish you would have told me that when we shared a room at the Nationals in New York City, because it would have made that trip even more memorable than it already was.”

“I thought about it, but I was too scared to bring it up. I was afraid you’d hate me and wouldn’t want anything more to do with me, and I didn’t want to take that chance after I’d finally found you again.”

“I understand, and I wish I’d been honest with you too, because that would have been amazing.”

“Yeah, it would have.”

We ended up talking or texting nearly every weekend from then on and continued to share our feelings. We also attempted to find a time when we could get together and be alone, but in the meantime we reveled in just being each other’s best friend.

We kept in touch over the summer as well and finally found a way that we could visit each other. Since Gavin’s family had two cars, his dad let him borrow one of the cars so he could visit me in late June, and what a magical weekend it was. It doesn’t mean we fucked each other’s brains out either, because we were both inexperienced and just learning what it meant to be gay for the very first time. We mostly cuddled and kissed, although we tried mutual masturbation for the first time, and we also attempted oral sex. What we did wasn’t perfect, but we knew we’d get better at it with more practice, but for us it was like being two virgin newlyweds on their wedding night.

My family only had one car, because my dad hadn’t bothered to get a replacement for the other car after it died. Instead, he and Mom rode together every day when they went to work to save money. When I asked to borrow the car, my dad said they didn’t want to be left without a vehicle over the weekend just so I could visit Gavin. When I told Gavin this, he talked his dad into letting him use their car again and he came to visit me at the end of July. It was basically a repeat of what we’d done the first time he came here, but I think we’d both done some research on oral sex in the interim. That’s because it was much better this time, but as good as it had become, the cuddling and kissing were even better, especially when we cuddled in bed.

Gavin continued borrowing the car so he could make weekend trips to see me over the following three summers as well, but unfortunately nothing lasts forever. After we graduated and started looking for jobs, we became so absorbed in starting our careers that we temporarily stopped calling and texting each other. This most likely began while we were working on our resumes, searching for available positions, and traveling to job interviews, but we eventually lost contact with one another yet again.

The problem was compounded once we were hired, because we changed phones so we’d have a local number for where we were now living and working. Even though we’d transferred our contact lists, they unfortunately contained our old phone numbers that were no longer in use. I suppose we could have made an effort to find a way to contact each other’s family and pass along our current phone numbers, but we were so absorbed in getting off to a good start at our new jobs that we put it off.

I ended up getting a teaching position at a small city school district that had a solid educational reputation. I had no idea where Gavin got hired, but I knew he’d earned a degree in Business Management and Administration. This meant he could have secured a job almost anywhere, doing anything, so I had no idea where to look. I was also far too busy to spend much time thinking about it.

I was very happy with my position and reveled in teaching the next generation. I also attempted to find time to write, primarily at night, on the weekends, and over the vacations, but that was more difficult than it sounds. I quickly discovered that I was spending most of my evenings preparing lesson plans and correcting papers, and this often carried over to the weekends as well. It meant I only found time to write over the longer vacations, especially summer vacation, although I had to take additional education courses at State in order to get my permanent certification.

Even though it took me a couple of years, I was finally successful in completing my first young adult novel. Although the money I earned helped out, it definitely wasn’t enough that I could quit my teaching job, and unfortunately I was also growing disenchanted with my current position. It seemed as if all I was doing was teaching the basics, including a couple of remedial classes, and I wanted to do much more. I pleaded with the high school principal to let me offer an elective in creative writing and another focused on Young Adult literature, but he said it wouldn’t be possible.

“I wish I had the money so I could allow you to do those things, but the budget only provides enough funds for the classes we currently offer. I’ve had Math teachers beg me to allow them to offer advanced Math classes for our brighter students, and the science department has expressed an interest to do something similar, but my hands are tied. I just don’t have the latitude or the budget to allow any of you to do those things.”

I was frustrated, but understood what he was saying. If I couldn’t do it where I was, then I would start looking for another job. After talking to some of my colleagues, they suggested that I should start applying to suburban school districts. They said those districts generally had more money in their budgets so they could allow their teachers to offer a wider range of classes. I thought it sounded like a good idea, so I updated my resume and contacted several suburban districts and asked them to send me an application for employment.

In the cover letter, I explained the reason why I wanted to leave my current job and listed the types of classes I’d prefer to teach. I hoped that maybe a few of these districts had considered offering those types of classes and would give me the opportunity to get them started.

I interviewed at several different schools, and they all seemed fairly interested in my idea, but they weren’t ready to add new courses either. They merely wanted me to include a three or four week segment for each of those topics into the current English curriculum. It wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for, because I’d been doing something similar in my current position, so I opted to remain where I was. I also continued sending out resumes and keeping my hopes high, but it wasn’t until the end of the following school year when I was invited to interview at another school.

“Mr. Rader, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Joy Baldwin, the Chairperson of the English Department, and these are the others on the selection committee.” She then introduced me to each person. “We were very intrigued when we read your letter of application and would like to hear more about what you propose.”

I then went into great detail about my ideas, even telling them the various books I had in mind for the young adult literature class. When I spoke about the creative writing class, I explained that I would prepare units that focused on how to write different types of stories, such as drama, adventure, mystery, and science fiction.

I also suggested this would be a good way to prepare students for entering the Scholastic Writing Contest. I then went on to describe how one of my teachers had entered something I’d written for our writing club, and that was the first of the entries I’d sent in. I then explained that I’d won several awards and college scholarships through this process and they helped to pay for part of my education.

The members of the selection committee began whispering amongst themselves when I finished, and then Ms. Baldwin addressed me.

“Would the courses you’re suggesting last for the entire school year or merely half of it?”

“I suppose I could do it either way.”

“Do you think you’d be able to design two slightly different programs for each of those topics, with one geared toward the junior class and the other for seniors?”

“I suppose I could do that as well, but why couldn’t the juniors and seniors take the same course?”

“Maybe I should explain something. The freshmen and sophomores have many required courses they must complete, but by the time students are juniors and seniors they have some flexibility to choose electives. We thought if you could offer different topics for the juniors and seniors then some students might wish to take those courses both years.”

“In that case, I can definitely plan something different for each of those grades.” I then offered a few ideas about how I could do it.

“Thank you for coming in and this has been a very enlightening interview. I have a feeling you’ll be hearing from us again, as soon as I’m able to present this to the School Board.”

I thanked them for their time and for hearing me out, and a couple of weeks later I received a call offering me a position beginning in the fall. I was thrilled and immediately began to compose my letter of resignation for my current job.

I spent the summer making lesson plans for these courses and was more excited than I’d ever been as I headed to school that fall. It started with the new teacher orientation session, where we were welcomed to the district by the Superintendent. He explained a few things first, and then he introduced the Assistant Superintendent who offered a few more remarks. After that, the Director of Instruction was introduced and made some additional comments, and then we were treated to a catered luncheon.

When we finished eating, we were dismissed to go to our schools for another meeting. This was necessary because the first session had included teachers from all of the schools: elementary, middle, and high school. Seeing we were already at the high school, those of us who’d be working there were directed to go to the auditorium, while the others drove to their schools.

After the principal made a few remarks, he introduced the new teachers individually and had us stand. He would then advise the other teachers which department we’d be working in and which subjects we were going to teach. However, when he came to me, he did my introduction slightly different.

“Mr. Rader has been hired by the English Department, and in addition to the typical English classes, he’ll also be offering classes in Creative Writing and Young Adult Literature. We’re hoping these classes will be well received, and any junior or senior wishing to sign up for these classes will be allowed to go to the guidance office to change their schedules when school starts.”

After each of the new hires had been introduced, he went over some other topics, such as the academic calendar and improvements that had been made to the building over the summer. He also asked for volunteers to be faculty advisors for various clubs, and then we were dismissed so we could go to our rooms and get them ready.

I had just begun checking out the room I’d been assigned when Ms. Baldwin knocked on my door. When she entered, she was followed by two others, a woman and a man.

“Mr. Rader, this is Ms. Frazier, the educational reporter for the local newspaper, and Mr. Navarro, a staff photographer.”

“What does an educational reporter do?” I wondered aloud.

“I report on everything related to education at every level, and this includes new programs, school rankings, student performance, and school board meetings. We also highlight different students and teachers from each district during the school year.”

“And she’s here to interview you about the new classes you’ll be offering,” Ms. Baldwin added, “and Mr. Navarro will take a few photos.”

“Is she also going to interview the other new teachers?”

“I’ll be writing a ‘Meet the New Teachers’ article for each school, but the others will only be given a small section in a weekday edition of the newspaper to introduce them to the community. This is the same thing I do for every school district in the local area, but you’re the only one who’ll be getting a separate article, due to the new classes you’ll be teaching.”

“Ms. Frazier will interview you to get some information about these classes so she can write a fairly substantial article for the Sunday Living Section of the paper,” Ms. Baldwin continued. “It will include a photo of you and we’re hoping the article will drum up some interest with the parents and students before classes begin on Monday.”

“So, is that the only way they’ll find out about these classes?” I asked. “I mean I hate to be rude, but I wouldn’t expect that many people still subscribe to or purchase the local newspaper.”

“We also offer an online subscription, as well as a subscription at a lower rate for those who just want the local news.”

“And Principal Florence will also mention the new courses at the ‘Welcome Back’ assembly that we’ll be having first thing on Monday morning.”

“I hope that’s sufficient so I don’t end up with an empty classroom,” I thought.

Needless to say, I felt a little self-conscious about being the only new hire getting this level of recognition, but seeing it was to publicize the classes I wanted to teach, I would grin and bear it. Shortly after I finished with Ms. Frazier and the photographer, the principal showed up at my room next.

“I just want to personally welcome you to the faculty and I’m looking forward to working with you.”

“Thank you and I’m looking forward to working with you as well.”

“I know this has probably been a little mind-boggling, because there is so much for you to deal with. Not only are you entering a new school and dealing with a new administration and new colleagues, but you’ve also had to deal with the reporter writing an article about you and the new classes you’ll be offering.”

“Yes, it has been a little overwhelming.”

“I’m certain you’ll be able to handle it, because I talked to a few people I knew from your old school and they had nothing but great things to say about you.”

“Then I hope I live up to their praise and your expectations.”

“I’m sure you’ll do fine.”

Needless to say, I was a bit frazzled when the day ended, so I went to my apartment to relax. I’d rented it shortly after the previous school year ended and I moved into it over the summer. I had to sign a one-year lease, which I felt was a safe thing to do, even under the circumstances. Although I felt as if I was being placed under a microscope with these new classes, I didn’t feel the Principal or Director of Instruction would do away with the courses or get rid of me until the end of the current school year. If that happened, then I’d have time to find another job before the following school year began.

I was a little unnerved on Saturday as I thought about how the newspaper article was going to be received. Will the other teachers feel resentful that I’m getting so much attention? Will the article persuade any of the students to sign up for either course? And will the parents feel it would befit their child to take one of these classes? A lot seemed to be riding on how this article was received.

When I woke up on Sunday morning, I raced out to get the Sunday edition of the local paper, and then as soon as I got back to the apartment I began searching for the article. I didn’t have to look very hard, because it was prominently displayed on the first page of the Living Section and I read through it to see how Ms. Frazier had presented both me and the courses.

I was pleased with what I read and thought she’d done a magnificent job describing the courses and what I hoped to accomplish. I just wondered if others reading the article would view it in the same light.

When I arrived at school on Monday, I joined the faculty and students in the auditorium for the assembly. At one point, the principal had me stand up so he could introduce me before he explained about the new classes. There was a lot of murmuring in the student section as he was doing this, although I wasn’t sure if this was a good or a bad sign.

When the assembly ended, we were dismissed to go to our first period class, although today the periods were shortened because of the assembly, except for the lunch periods. The shortened periods still allowed us enough time to meet with the students and explain what we hoped to accomplish, and my first two periods were typical English classes. They were followed by the creative writing class for seniors and then the young adult literature class for juniors.

To my surprise, I had several students in each class and I hoped I would eventually end up with even more, but this was a good start. My free period came after those two classes ended, and as I made my way to the main office to check my mailbox, I was stopped by one of the guidance counselors. After he introduced himself, he continued.

“The start of the school year is usually a hectic time, but this year is even more so, due to the number of students that want to enroll in your new classes. Sometimes this means we have to adjust their entire schedule in order to make it possible, and the students you had in your classes earlier were the easiest to accommodate. However, we’re currently working on revamping the schedules of several other students, so those two classes should be even larger starting tomorrow.”

“I’m sorry that I created so much work for you. It wasn’t my intent.”

“We know, and we’re willing to do this because it’s rewarding to see students so excited about signing up for something.”

“I’m excited about that too, and I’m very grateful for your help.”

When I reached the office, I found a note telling me that I’d received a call from a Mr. Munson and it listed a phone number for me to call him back later this evening. I immediately wondered if the call was from Gavin, but then I realized that Munson is a fairly common name so it was probably someone else with the same surname. Besides, why would Gavin call me about some high school courses?

There was another note attached to it and it said I was to see the principal before I made this call. He was in his office, so I knocked on the door in order to get his attention.

“Did you want to see me?”

“Yes. The secretary told me that you’d received a call from someone, and I was wondering if it might be related to the new classes you’re offering. If so, I hope you’ll be willing to share whatever the person has to say, because I’d like to be able to assess how well this is going over. I was told that quite a few students went to the guidance office today to change their schedules so they can take one of your classes, and that’s a very good sign. I just hope the caller isn’t another school district trying to lure you away from us.”

“I doubt that’s the case and I’ll be happy to share the information with you, if it’s about the new classes.”

I waited until I’d eaten dinner before I made the call, and when the person said “hello”, I identified myself.

“My name is Tristan Rader and I had a message that I was to call you.”

“Damn straight you were,” the voice replied, shocking me. “How the hell have you been?” I realized I was talking to Gavin.

“How did you find out I was here?”

“I saw your picture in yesterday’s newspaper and read about what you’re doing. The only way I could contact you, though, was to call the school and leave a message.”

“I’m so glad you did. Are you working around here?”

“Yes, I’ve been working for the DiNozzo Real Estate Corporation in Madison ever since I graduated from college.”

“And I live in the suburbs just outside of Madison,” I gasped.

“I know, so I’m hoping we can get together and keep in touch this time.”

“Yes, I’d like that too. So, what do you do at DiNozzo Real Estate?”

“I’m the vice-president in charge of operations.”

“That sounds like a great job and I’m glad we’ve found each other again.”

“Me too, and we’ve got each other’s phone numbers already, so we’ll be able to keep in touch.”

“Yeah, that’s right. I’ll add your number to my contact list right away.”

We spent the next hour catching up again, and then Gavin invited me to come to the city on the weekend and promised he’d show me a good time. He said he’d take me on a tour of the city first, and he’d also make a reservation for us to go out to dinner on Saturday night. He then suggested that I could stay at his apartment so I wouldn’t have to worry about how much I drank with the meal, because I wouldn’t have to drive home afterward.

“That sounds perfect, so just give me your address and I’ll see you on Saturday.”

I was floating on Cloud 9 all evening and looking forward to spending time with Gavin again. I couldn’t believe my good fortune and I had trouble falling asleep because I was so excited.

When I got to school the following day, the principal saw me and came over to ask a question.

“So, was the phone call about one or both of your classes?”

“No, it was actually an old friend that I’d lost contact with. He saw the article in the Sunday paper and decided to get in touch, and the only way he could do it was by leaving a message here.”

“Ah, I see. So, was he a good friend?”

“Yes, he was my best friend,” and then I gave him the abbreviated version of how we’d first lost touch with one another, and then found and lost contact with each other several times after that, and now we’d found each other again.

He was silent for a few moments before he spoke.

“You’ve obviously noticed that I’m much older than nearly everyone else in the school district, including the Superintendent, because I love my job and I’m not ready to retire yet. However, when I was younger I was a big fan of a rock group called the Beatles. Maybe you’ve heard of them?” I shook my head. “That’s not important, but one of their last songs was called The Long and Winding Road, and the lyrics remind me of the story you just told me about you and your friend. The first stanza goes like this:

The long and winding road
That leads to your door
Will never disappear,
I’ve seen that road before
It always leads me here
Leads me to your door”

When he finished reciting the stanza, I realized it perfectly described my relationship with the person I’d fallen in love with. In our case, the road wasn’t made of concrete or macadam. It was a metaphorical description of what kept leading us to one another.

Needless to say, I was antsy all week long as I anticipated spending time with Gavin again, although I tried to keep it from showing while I was at school. On Saturday, I showered, dressed, and had a quick bite to eat, and then I grabbed the overnight bag that I’d packed the night before. It contained a change of clothes for both Saturday and Sunday, as well as a suit and tie, because I wasn’t sure how fancy the place was that Gavin was planning on taking me for dinner.

It was a wonderful two days and Gavin not only showed me around the city, but he’d planned a very romantic evening for us as well. He took me too a lovely restaurant, so I was glad I’d packed the suit, and afterward he took me out to see a show. When we got back to his apartment, we cuddled kissed, and engaged in mutual masturbation, which led to oral sex. Once we were sated, we discussed taking it to the next level when we got together again. I had a terrific time, and Gavin agreed to come to my apartment the following weekend.

“I don’t know if you realize it, but the company I work for also owns and operates this apartment complex as well,” he said when he was at my place.

“No, I didn’t know that.”

“Yes, we own and manage a number of properties.”

We continued seeing each other every weekend and picked up were we left off when we were in college. The only time we didn’t get together was when we spent Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter with our families, and when we got together at his place again the weekend after Easter, Gavin asked a question.

“What would you think about moving in with me?”

“You mean you want us to live together?”

“Of course I do,” he said as he bent down on one knee. “Tristan Rader, will you marry me?”

“Yes, of course I will. It will also work out perfectly, because my lease will be up shortly.”

“You didn’t have to worry about that, because I could have gotten you out of your lease.”

“Oh, yeah. I didn’t think about that.”

“And the company owns this complex as well and the apartment is one of the perks of my position.”

“Then will they have a problem with me living here with you?”

“No, so you don’t have to worry about that either.”

We didn’t have time to plan a wedding before school started in the fall, so we agreed to get married over spring break. It would give us time to make the arrangements, although Gavin had an inside track where that was concerned, and it would also give our families time to make plans to join us. Gavin said he also wanted to invite some of the people he worked with and suggested that I invite the principal and any of the faculty members who wanted to attend.

It was a much larger affair than I would have ever imagined, and nearly everyone seemed happy for us, including my students and their parents when I returned to work the following week. They had seen our wedding announcement in the newspaper.

I’ll admit, there had been times when I wondered if I’d ever see Gavin again, and now we’re going to spend the rest of our lives together. I couldn’t have asked for a happier ending, even with all the twists and turns our relationship had taken in between just for us to get to this point, but in the end it was well worth it.

THE END