Again

by Kanaye

He made a mistake. Just one little word. Again.

He watched as his beloved paced in front of the fire place. After a few minutes he had to say something, anything.

“Skyler. Sky. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean-”

“To lie to me? To make me… make me…” Sky sat down hard where he stood his head in his hands. “How could you lie to me, Charlie? For seven months. How?”

Charlie wanted to comfort Sky, wanted to pull him into his arms and hold him. He had to explain first. “I wasn’t trying to lie to you. I was… You had just woken up! 5 years of your life gone! Forgotten! You didn’t even know who you were, never mind who I was! You thought you were straight!”

Now Charlie stood up and started pacing. “What was I supposed to do? ‘Hey there. Your name is Skyler Daniels, your birthday is Feb 12^th, 1981 and you’re my husband.’ Yeah, that would have gone over real well.”

He turned and saw Sky looking up at him. He crouched down. “I thought if we went slow. If I didn’t rush you, you would fall in love with me again. And it worked. You did. And I fell for you again too. I was going to tell you after we had been together for a year and you were sure of me, of us, but…”

He sighed, stood up and went to the entertainment center. He pulled something out of a drawer and sat back down next to Sky.

He held a photo album in his lap. Our Wedding was embossed on the cover. Charlie traced the words. “I thought I could wait a year but, today being today and when I saw your ring on the dresser, I just couldn’t wait.”

“What’s today?”

Charlie smiled and slowly passed Sky the album. “Today is our third wedding anniversary.”

Sky stared at the album and caught the silver sheen of the wedding band he wore on his left ring finger. He hadn’t given Charlie an answer yet. Because of that one word. Again. Charlie had asked him to marry him, again.

He opened the album and laughed. Charlie had a pained expression while he watched Sky get a lap dance from what was obviously a stripper.

“Bachelor Party” Charlie said. “You asked. You did ask. Over and over until I said yes.”

A few more picture of the strip club. The last one was another picture of Charlie with a pained expression, but this time he was the one getting the lap dance.

“I made you do that?” Sky guessed and Charlie just gave him a look. “Ah, ok. Next page.”

The pictures went from Sky in bed, to him shaving, to him attempting to tie his tie in a mirror. In that one Charlie was seen in the mirror with the camera in his hand, already dressed.

“You’re not supposed to see the bride before the wedding.” Skyler commented.

“And what a lovely bride you were.” Charlie retorted, with a swift kiss on Sky’s cheek.

The next page showed Charlie at the altar with Brad, Damon, and Devon behind him. The twins were fidgeting.

A few snap shots of their family and friends. Sky’s mother beaming, with a tissue in her hand. Charlie’s 4 year old nephew picking his nose while Charlie’s sister tried to fix the little boys hair.

Next one had Charlie beaming, a huge, delighted smile on his face and his eyes lit up as he stared down the aisle, towards the camera.

Here was Skler coming down the aisle, his arm tucked into his uncle’s. “Uncle Drew” Sky said, rubbing his finger across his uncle’s face. “How long was this before… before the accident.”

“You were only out two weeks.”

Sky just looked at him.

“A little over two years. You know he died instantly. And it wasn’t your fault.”

“If the truck would have started. If I hadn’t asked him for ride, hadn’t asked him to take me, he would-”

Charlie cut in. “If I hadn’t gone to see that stupid baseball game, I would have been home to take you. That makes it my fault too, in your line of thinking.”

Sky stared down at the picture. “A drunk driver. At 2 in the afternoon! “

Skyler slammed the album closed and made to throw it but Charlie grabbed his arm and pulled Skyler into him.

“It isn’t fair. He kills Uncle Drew, puts me into a coma and all he gets is a broken leg and a bump on the head.”

Sky tried not to cry but couldn’t stop himself.

Charlie just held him, rocking back and forth.

As Sky calmed down, he thought, not letting go of Charlie. He still didn’t remember the 5 years he had lost but, being here with Charlie felt right. It had taken Charlie almost two months to get Sky to accept he was bi. And then these five months with Charlie. Really with him. Dinners, movies, talking, laughing. The nights. The long nights of Charlie teaching him, of loving him. It all felt right.

“Yes.”

“Hmm?” Charlie asked, still rocking.

Sky pulled his face back, his arms still around Charlie. “Yes. Yes, I will marry you. Again.”

© 2009 Kanaye

Story Discussion