David's Initiation

Disclaimer: The following is a work of fiction and any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental. The story contains graphic descriptions of sex between men. Anyone who is forbidden by law to read such material must stop now. This story is being posted to the Nifty Archive solely for the enjoyment of its readers.

David's Initiation: The Recovery 12

Ah what an experience it is to move into your first residence. Dave had great success with his condo search. He found one that was only three blocks from his office and in nice weather he could walk to work. The condo also provided good security; the main entrance was attended by a doorman who was actually a trained security officer. Other, less obvious security measures were also in place like the special card required to operate the elevator and strategically placed video cameras.

One disadvantage of moving into the downtown area was losing a convenient place to run. But Dave's luck held out again. Just one block from his condo he found an athletic club with and indoor track with a padded running surface. It also offered a well-equipped weight room and all the most popular exercise equipment available.

Finding the condo turned out to be the easy part, furnishing it was the real challenge. Dave didn't want to spend a lot of money on expensive furniture because in the back of his mind he was planning to build his own house some day and anything he had in his condo would probably be out of place in the house.

Nancy drove up to spend a day and advise her son. After talking it over, they agreed he should invest in top quality mattresses for the bedrooms because that was something personal that he would probably take with him to his future house. He selected top of the line, extra firm queen-sized mattresses for the master bedroom and another for the second largest bedroom. He really wanted a king-sized mattress but the room just wasn't big enough to handle one. Dave planned to use the third, smallest bedroom as his office. After that, they went to a discount furniture store and selected enough furniture to make the condo look comfortable but not crowded. Dave figured that when he moved into his new house, he could donate the furniture he didn't want to the Philos Foundation.

That's when Dave realized he'd only begun. There were many more things to buy: dishes, knives, forks, spoons, pots, pans, mixing bowls sheets, blankets, curtains; the list seemed endless. His mother recommended he buy the bare minimum to get by on and fill things in as he needed them. She actually had a secret plan. About three weeks later Dave opened his door and was treated with a surprise condo warming. His mother, Kate, John, the boys, Mike, Todd and Yee invaded his living quarters carrying boxes filled with exactly the things he needed. Mark and Matt were intrigued with Yee and they took to him like he was family.

Dave's transition at the office was exceptionally smooth. He already knew everybody and just continued working on several of the projects he'd worked as an intern.

Sam called and invited Dave to his place for the next meeting of the Philos group. Normally the meeting rotated among the members but the person who was next in line had a personal emergency so Sam stepped in and agreed to play host again.

Shortly after 8:30 PM Saturday evening, everyone was sitting around Sam's living room when all conversation stopped and Peter Harris, the Foundation's current president, stood up and the meeting was under way. About twenty minutes into the informal agenda one man held up his hand and asked to make an announcement.

"Gentlemen... and lady," he said, nodding toward the one woman present, several people chuckled, "earlier this week I got some news I think we might be interested in. We all know that we've been on the lookout for a piece of property where we can consolidate all our operations. Well last week I learned that the old Plantation Hotel not far from the downtown area is going to be placed on the market. For those who may not be familiar with the Plantation, many years ago it used to be one of the finest hotels in the city. The main building is a three-story structure and there are several two-story wings that make it resemble some of the present-day four-star motels."

"Have you heard anything about what price the owners are asking?" Peter Harris asked.

"Yes I have. Now I'm sure you realize that the property is in a pretty rundown part of the city. That means they can't ask as much as they could if it were in a better location. The price I heard was $500,000." A quiet murmur buzzed around the room. "Now I checked with our treasurer and we are a little shy of that amount but the property includes a lot of acreage which we could develop in the future. It's a great opportunity that I'd hate to see us loose."

"Just HOW shy of $500,000 are we?" Sam asked.

The man cleared his throat as if stalling, "We're about $300,000 shy." This time a much louder murmur filled the air. "But if we start a fund-raising drive immediately we might be able to raise the money we need."

The woman in the group spoke up. "Our very best fund drive EVER only raised at most $95,000. It seems a big stretch to think of raising $200,000 more."

"This is a great opportunity for us. Surely there must be some way we can raise the money!" another member exclaimed.

Suddenly a light went on in Dave's brain. Although he was only a guest, he held up his hand. "I have a question," he interjected. All eyes turned to focus on him. "If we get this property can we just move in or would we have to renovate, bring it up to code and invest a lot of other effort into it?"

The first speaker, the one who made the announcement spoke up again. "Yes, we would have to do that." He sounded a little defeated.

"And about how much would that add to the cost?" Dave asked.

"Probably another $500,000." Sam spoke up. "It's hard to say without seeing the condition of the buildings." More murmurs went around the room.

"Suppose we could find someone willing to fund all of this?" Dave asked

"Who? Great! Where? Wonderful!" Those and similar comments floated among the group.

"What do you have in mind, Dave?" asked Peter Harris.

"I mean, what kind of input would that donor be allowed to have?"

"That amount of money would buy one hell of a lot of input, Dave," Peter Harris added. Everyone was now totally focused on Dave.

"I don't want you to get your hopes up but I may know someone who might be interested. Can you give me... let's say a week to pursue this?" All heads turned to face the man who made the original announcement.

"From what I know, that would be doable. I'd say we might have a month to make a deal."

"That should be plenty of time," Dave replied, "and I'll be glad to offer any required architectural work pro bono."

"And count on me for any construction work at cost or less." Sam added. Several of the others spoke up and offered their services for free or at cost.

"Tremendous!" Harris exclaimed. "That should help hold down some of the expenses. Dave," Harris looked in his direction, "I think the ball's in your c ourt. I'll just wait until I hear from you before we make any moves on this matter."

"I'll get on it as quickly as I can, Pete," Dave was anxious to get started.

"Now, are there any more comments on that topic?" Harris asked. Everyone looked around the room and when no hands went up and nobody spoke up Harris moved on to the next issue.

Wednesday afternoon, Art was in his office having a conversation with Walt (Marcus). Walt was filling Art in on plans for his pending graduation and for the bar exam when the intercom buzzed. Art reached across his desk and pressed the button.

"Yes, Dottie?"

"Mr. Radford, Mr. Baker is on line three."

"Thank you, Dot." Art pressed the button for line three and, as was his normal practice, the speakerphone was on. "Hi, Dave, this is a nice surprise, how you doing?"

"Just fine, Art, how are Beth and the girls?"

"Hey, they are just fine. Listen, I've got you on speaker and Walt, er, Marcus is here with me."

There was a long pause before Dave replied. During that long pause Marcus watched the smile on Art's face turn very serious, almost concerned.

"Hi, Marcus, how are you, and how is that lovely Tonya?" Dave finally spoke.

"Tonya's great, David, she's busy planning the wedding. You're going to be there aren't you?"

"Just try to keep me away, boy. But let me get back to you. Art," Dave turned the conversation, "I'll be coming out to see you this weekend. I'm arriving Friday night and I'll be staying with Alex and Steve. Could we have lunch at the club Saturday? I need your able advice."

"Certainly, Dave, do you want to set a time or would you rather call me when you get here?" Art asked.

"Let me call you Saturday morning after I have some time with Alex and Steve. I should know more by then."

"Sounds good to me, is there anything else?"

"Now that you mention it, I'd appreciate it if Marcus, or as you call him, Walt could join us if possible."

Art looked at Marcus who nodded yes. "He says he can do that; I'll be waiting for your call."

"Thanks, Art, see you Saturday, bye." The line went dead.

Art sat motionless, staring silently at the telephone for several seconds. It was as though Walt wasn't even there. After a while Art placed his hands on the edge of his desk and seemed to lift his body from his chair, pushing it back with the back of his knees. Art turned slowly to his left, walked to the window and stood with his feet set far apart and his hands on his hips, looking out into infinity.

Marcus sensed that something was wrong but he didn't have a clue what it was. He was a little surprised to discover that Dave and Art knew each other, and quite well at that. It was also clear that Dave was Art's client. After staring out the window for several minutes, Art turned back around, sat back down at his desk and looked at Walt.

"Walt, I just screw up. Big Time!" Art was silent for several more seconds as if collecting his thoughts. "I just violated a trust. Dave made me promise that you were not to know that we knew each other. I just blew it."

" I don't understand." Walt broke the silence with his statement. "Why wouldn't Dave want me to know you two knew each... ah, I see... I think."

"Dave didn't want you to know," Art interrupted whatever Walt might have been about to say, "because he didn't want you to think he arranged this position for you and then have you feel obligated to him. Anyway, that's not the way it happened." As long as Art had the floor he was going to keep it. "You see, I asked Dave if he could recommend anyone to interview for an intern vacancy here at the firm and he suggested I take a look at you. I did and found exactly what we were looking for. Dave didn't get you this job, you did. Dave just opened the door." Art took a breath and stopped talking.

"Thanks, Art, you said that very well. I've known David for many years and I know that's how he works. This isn't the first time he's help me out, I'm already obligated to him for so many reasons, one more reason won't make much difference. He's the best friend I've ever had. I think David is one of those rare philanthropic-minded people who seems driven to help others while remaining as anonymous as possible. Their reward is knowing that they have helped.

"I guess that's a side of Dave that I haven't seen yet." Art replied.

"Well, maybe you will some day." Walt predicted. "But I'm just a little curious about how you two know each other."

Art pondered his answer for a moment. "I don't think I can tell you that without breaking attorney-client privilege. But I also believe that Dave would tell you if you asked. By the way, how much do you know about Dave's private life?"

Walt suspected Art knew about David or he wouldn't have phrased the question the way he did. "You mean that he's gay?"

"Yes."

"I didn't know that until we ran into each other back at school. And I'm ashamed to say I handled it badly."

"How so?"

"Oh, I took it personal, like by associating with him it might make me that way. It took me a week to realize I was being a fool. Then I apologized. I was amazed at how cool he was about it. Now it's not an issue."

"That sounds similar to what happened between me and a childhood friend. We grew up together, were in Boy Scouts together, played sports together, we were practically inseparable. Then when we were in high school he told me he was gay. I compliment you on coming around in a week, as I recall, it took me months before I realized I missed his friendship. Fortunately he too was cool about it and we were able to rebuild our friendship. In fact, we were roommates all through college and his sexual preference, or whatever it's called, was never a factor."

"Where is he now?" Walt asked.

"Unfortunately..." Art stopped and looked out the window. Tears didn't fill his eyes but they were close. "About three years ago he had a automobile accident and died a few days later. I was able to be at his side when he passed away." Art continued to gaze out the window, seeing nothing in particular.

After work on Friday, Dave caught the first flight he could get to DFW and by 8:00 PM was rolling up the driveway at the Roehl's ranch. He, Alex and Steve spent several hours discussing Dave's plan and Dave received their complete endorsement.

Saturday morning, Dave saddled his own horse and went for a short jaunt around the ranch. The feel of the horse moving under him and the solitude of being alone with his thoughts was very therapeutic.

Just after 12:00 PM Dave walked into the club and was escorted to the booth where Art and Marcus were waiting for him. Both men stood and greeted Dave with handshakes then they slid into the horseshoe shaped booth with Marcus in the middle. The waiter was on them immediately and took their orders. When he was gone, the three men engaged in light social conversation until their meals arrived, then they ate. The real conversation didn't begin until the plates had been cleared from the table and they were sipping their coffee. Art spoke first.

"Before we get started, Dave, Walt asked me how you and I became acquainted. I told him I'd leave that up to you to tell, if you like."

Dave looked at Art, then at Marcus. At that moment he didn't feel like telling that story again, it was too stressful. "Art, if I went to the restroom for a few minutes, do you think you could explain that to the tall, dark, and handsome guy on my right?" Dave smiled when he said that, trying to keep the atmosphere somewhat lighthearted.

"Of course I can, Dave, I just need your permission." And with that, Dave excused himself and walked slowly to the restroom; he was in no hurry. He also realized that his proposal would make more sense if Marcus had some background. Dave walked up to the urinal, unzipped his fly, pulled his penis from its warm cocoon and released a stream of golden fluid. When he was finished he shook the last drop of urine from the tip of his penis and returned it to the security of his boxer briefs then zipped up his fly. He walked over to the sink, washed his hands rather leisurely, splashed some water on his face and dried it off, then combed his hair.

Art began by reminding Walt of the friend he spoke of last Wednesday, he did. Art then compared that relationship to the one between Walt and Dave. That made it easier for him to explain Dave and Paul's relationship and cover that ground in very short order. He finished by adding that Paul had left a rather large estate to Dave.

"Now I understand," Walt said.

"What's that?"

"Well, that first time I saw Dave on campus, after years of not seeing him, I thought he looked different. Not just older, no, it was something else. He smiled with his mouth but his eyes expressed a sadness. Now I can see why."

"I'll explain more later when we have the time," Art said. "Here he comes."

Dave took his time walking back to the table. He saw Art and Marcus sitting quietly, staring into their coffee cups and assumed Art had finished his explanation. Dave slid into the booth and when he placed his forearms on the table, Marcus reached over with his left hand, wrapped it around Dave's right wrist and squeezed. That's all that happened. No words were spoken; none were required. The communication was clear and complete.

"So, Dave, what's on your mind?" Art asked, trying to get things going again.

"You know about my involvement with the Philos Foundation back home," Art nodded, "well, they have been presented with an opportunity to acquire a piece of property and consolidate their operations and that will allow them to make tremendous improvements in their ability to help their clients. The only problem, they don't have the money. Last night I laid out a plan for Alex and Steve and they endorsed it enthusiastically." Dave paused for effect while he looked Art squarely in the eyes. "I intend to contribute one million dollars from the trust to the Foundation to help them acquire the property they need." Dave waited for a reaction.

Art wasn't phased. He trusted that if Dave was prepared to make that kind of donation he had checked the proposal thoroughly and it was sound. Marcus on the other hand looked like he was in a mild state of shock at the amount. "If I know you, Dave, you already know how you want to do this. Right?"

Dave smiled and noted Marcus' reaction. "Can you make the contribution appear to be from the Paul A Roehl Trust? I'd prefer that my name not be connected to it. They already know I'm tracking a prospective contributor and that's all they need to know."

"Ya see what I meant?" Walt said as a reminder of his comments about Dave's philanthropic nature. Art smiled his acknowledgement.

"Okay, what are you to up to?" Dave questioned.

"That's between Walt and me. Don't you worry your pretty little head about it," Art joshed. "As for doing what you propose, that will be simple. Just put me in touch with the Foundation Treasurer and we can work out the details."

"There's one more condition." Dave saw Art's eyebrows raise as if to ask, What else?'. "I want that property to be named The Roehl House' in honor of Captain Paul A. Roehl."

Art began to grin then he reached out and grasped Dave's hand. "That will give me great pleasure, Mr. Baker."

"I don't think they will give you any static over the naming request; I've already asked about it and the Foundation President told me that amount of money would buy almost anything it wanted." Then Dave added another twist. "Marcus, you should know that Paul's trust is worth a great deal of money. And some day soon, after you pass the bar, I would like for you to serve as Art's backup on the case, assuming Art doesn't have any objections."

"None at all," Art followed. "In fact, I think that's going to work out well because I've heard roomers that I may be offered a junior partnership in the firm and if that happens I plan to make Walt my assistant." Now Walt really looked like he was in shock. "Calm down, Mr. Richardson, you still have to pass the bar."

The three friends visited until Dave had to leave for the airport. Back home Dave remained busy at work and on Friday Peter Harris called to tell him they had just received a donation of one million dollars from the Paul A. Roehl Trust and were proceeding with acquiring the hotel property.

Dave's life settled into a routine of office work and Philos activities. He also began designing his dream house with no real timeframe of when he might build it. His quarterly trips to Dallas for the AANCF Board Meetings continued and helped him keep up to date on his extended family there.

Dave thought it was time he told Howard Hastings about his activities outside the office. After all, those activities would have an impact on his office schedule. First he talked about his position of the Board of Directors of the Abused, Abandoned, and Neglected Children's Foundation of Dallas. Then he talked about his volunteer activities with the Philos Foundation. Dave wasn't sure just how far he should go in discussing his reasons for being involved with Philos, he had no idea what Howard's views might be toward gays.

Hastings was smarter than Dave gave him credit for. He and Sam had been friends for a long time and he knew that Sam was gay. He also knew Sam, like Dave was deeply involved with Philos. Early in Dave's interview process for the internship Howard had connected the dots and concluded Dave also might be gay. He also knew that at least one, perhaps two other architects in the firm were gay and it had never presented a problem. So what! As long as Dave didn't make it an issue, neither would he.

Dave was a little surprised when Hastings said how impressed he was to have one of the firm's architects involved in such noble charitable endeavors. He complimented Dave on his activities and said not to worry about what little time it might take away from the office, he was sure the firm would be rewarded over time.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving Dave sent another email to Dan. He had been regularly sending one email each month only to have it go unanswered. When he checked his messages on Sunday he found his latest email had been returned with one of those messages informing him the email address did not exist. Dave sat looking at the message trying to imagine what was going on, what could have happened to Dan. He got an empty feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Dave's first Christmas in his own home (condo) was a real treat. He bought a small tree and invited Mike, Todd and Yee over to help him decorate it. Although Dave had, for all intents and purposes abandoned ties to his faith, he could continue to observe the spirit of the season. On Christmas Day, the three friends came over around 9:00 AM, exchanged presents and then teamed up to prepare an early dinner of prime rib, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, and hot rolls. Being able to share the occasion filled each of them with the warmth of their friendship. After cleaning up the kitchen, all four men trouped off to the new Philos building. Renovation had progressed so rapidly that the Foundation decided to celebrate by serving Christmas dinner for its clients in the new dining room. Dave, Mike, Todd, and Yee all volunteered to serve the meal cafeteria style as part of their contribution to the organization. Their actions allowed the regular staff to enjoy the meal along with the regular crowd.

The day after Christmas, Kate, John, and the boys visited bearing gifts and Dave had gifts for all of them. Nancy also showed up, which was a gift in itself.

For the New Year celebration, Dave went to Mike and Todd's and Yee joined them also. Dave and Yee wound up spending the night on the hide-a-bed in the living room. Everyone was much too inebriated to do anything but sleep and the next morning they were too hung-over to function. Several days later, Dave wondered if anything might have happened between him and Yee if they hadn't been drunk. He always thought Yee was kind of cute and had a really nicely rounded and seductive butt. That cute little butt had provided Dave with more than a few jack-off fantasies over the time since they met.

The third Saturday of January was the momentous occasion Dave had been waiting for -- the dedication of Roehl House. On Friday evening Dave picked up Alex and Steve Roehl at the airport and took them to his condo then they went out to dinner. Saturday morning they waited until Dave's mother arrived then they all went to the old Plantation Hotel for the ceremony. The entire governing counsel of the Philos Foundation (Sam and all of his friends), the Mayor and several members of the city counsel, all of the Foundation staff and many residents were already gathered when the four of then arrived. Even Howard Hastings and his wife were there.

Gathered in front of the renovated hotel on a sunny but chilly and windy day, Peter Harris, Philos Foundation President, opened the proceedings by introducing the Mayor. He managed to ramble on for about forty-five minutes (just to make sure the press got plenty of pictures) before turning the proceedings back over to Harris. The Roehls were introduced and Steve made a brief statement about how proud Paul would be of the wonderful facility. Then, with Steve and Alex on one side and the Mayor on the other, they pulled a couple of cords that opened a curtain to reveal a plaque on the front wall, just to the right of the entrance to the building. Peter Harris read the inscription: "ROEHL HOUSE. Dedicated on this eighteenth day of January to the memory of Captain Paul A. Roehl, Loving Son and Great Friend." Just below the inscription were the dates of Paul's birth and death.

After the applause subsided Pete Harris invited everyone inside for cake and coffee. Dave was glowing; his chest was about to burst with pride. He circulated throughout the room making sure everyone was having a good time. Rather instinctively he would occasionally glance around the room to keep track of Steve, Kate and his mother. Steve seemed to be in his element having an animated conversation with the Mayor, who seemed impressed by the personable Texan. Every time he found his mother he also found Kate; the two seemed inseparable. They always appeared to be smiling and talking and touching each other's wrists. Dave couldn't help get the feeling they were plotting something. They were.

"Oh yes you are, now start packing!" Nancy ordered. "We're going to go and we're going to have a good time."

Grumbling to himself, Bob Baker went to the closet, pulled out two suitcases and placed them on the bed. He had been getting "The Treatment" for some time now. At first, Nancy would sneak off to visit Dave while Bob was at work. That got old fast and before long she would casually announce, "I'm going to see Dave, Honey." When Kate, John and the boys were visiting they too would casually let it be known where they were going. Occasionally pictures of the boys together with Dave would appear during family gatherings.

So, when Nancy came home almost two weeks ago from the dedication of Roehl House she announced she had met the Roehls. Furthermore, Alex and Steve had invited them to come for a visit and she had accepted. Nancy had made it quite clear that Alex and Steve were the parents of Dave's good friend Paul and that they were wonderful people.

Steve made all of the travel arrangements. Instead of Nancy and Bob having to drive into the city, they drove to the local municipal airport where they were greeted by the flight crew of the private jet owned by Steve's firm. This was quite an experience for them. The only other time they had flown was to visit Kate, now here they were being escorted to a private jet. Bob was most impressed when, as they walked up the steps they heard the engine on the opposite side of the airplane being started. The copilot made sure they were strapped in and as the plane began to taxi he gave them a short briefing about the flight then went to the cockpit. After level off, the copilot set out a fruit tray and a cheese tray with crackers. He also showed Bob and Nancy where the liquor cabinet was and invited them to choose whatever they wanted. Bob got brave, unbuckled his seat belt and went to check out the liquor cabinet. He wasn't a drinker but he wasn't going to pass up this opportunity. He poured a glass of Chardonnay for Nancy and fixed himself a bourbon-on-the-rocks.

Alex and Steve were standing on the tarmac at Love Field when the plane came to a stop. They were hoping the Baker's flight had been a good one and were anxious to greet them. By now, Bob was overwhelmed with the treatment he was receiving. `This kind of lifestyle only exists on TV,' he thought. Nancy and Alex greeted each other as old friends and Steve hugged Nancy and gave her a peck on the cheek. Then Steve and Alex shook Bob's hand and they walked thr ough the private terminal to Steve's big Mercedes. Bob was even more surprised to see a man already loading their luggage into the trunk of Steve's car. Bob was so enthralled with everything he would have forgotten all about their luggage.

That evening was one that both impressed yet puzzled Bob Baker. He watched Nancy fit right in just like she belonged, and he found Steve and Alex to be two very likable, quite disarming and down to earth people, people he could really like. The dinner was simple and the wine excellent. By the time Dave's parents went to bed that evening they were both exhausted. They were in Paul's old room but Alex hadn't explained that. While Nancy was in the bathroom, Bob began looking around. On top of a chest of drawers he spotted a picture and picked it up. It was a picture of Dave and another good-looking young man, Bob assumed it was Paul, and he couldn't help but notice how happy they both looked. The picture was the one taken in the photo booth when they were at the beach. Dave had taken it to a photo shop and had 8X10 enlargements made so Alex and Steve could have one.

Saturday morning seemed to pick up where Friday evening left off. They all drove into town for a look around, like tourists, and stopped in at the local soda shop for some treats. Bob had a root beer float, something he hadn't had in years. Upon returning to the ranch they had a light lunch and then Steve suggested they saddle up and go for a ride. Nancy and Alex begged off but Bob felt excited by the idea. He'd always wanted to go horseback riding and this might be his one and only chance. Bob found some real cowboy boots for Bob to wear and that impressed Bob immensely.

Steve was the perfect host. He observed Bob's nervousness and did everything he could to make Bob feel more comfortable. After about forty-five minutes Bob finally relaxed as Steve showed him around the ranch pointing out things he thought might interest Bob. Steve's plan was going well. They finally arrived at the high point on the ranch where they could see great distances in all directions. As they sat quietly on their horses, Steve turned slightly to the right in his saddle and looked at Bob.

"Bob, I'm really glad you came. It gives me a chance to compliment you, congratulate you on raising such a fine son. I can see a lot of you in Dave and all of it is good. You know, when we lost our son we were pretty heartbroken. And then we discovered Dave. What a joy he is. You must be so proud of him." Bob was caught off guard and sat quietly as he listened to Steve tell him about things Dave was doing. He talked about the AANCF, Dave's support of the Dallas Symphony, and the Philos Foundation. Steve mentioned how impressed he and Alex were that Dave had completed his education to become an architect. He also let it drop that so many leaders on Texas thought a great deal of Dave, like a few legislators and a member of the Texas Supreme Court.

Initially Bob was ready to interrupt Steve and say he didn't want to hear anything about Dave's life, but the more Steve talked the greater Bob's interest became. He was learning things about his son that he had absolutely no idea about and he began to feel a growing sense of pride. At the same time, Bob was fighting feelings of sadness and embarrassment that he had to be hearing these things from a perfect stranger.

"Thanks for the compliment, Steve, I really appreciate it. Could you tell me some things about your son? We never got to meet him," Bob asked. David's father had turned a corner but he didn't quite know where it was leading him. The longer he could get Steve to talk the more time he would have to think.

"Oh, Paul was a wonderful son," Steve began. His chest swelled with pride as he began to recount some of the things in Paul's life that were significant to the man he ultimately became. At moments, Bob noticed tears in Steve's eyes as he told about some event that had a special memory for him. Finally Steve glanced at his watch. "Hey, we'd better get going or we're going to be late for dinner." Steve urged his horse forward into a slow walk; Bob's horse followed and the two men continued their conversation.

Bob returned to his room where he would shower to remove the horse smell and Nancy was already there, changing for dinner. She made a recommendation on what he should wear and he agreed. When he got out of the shower Nancy was already gone but she had laid his clothes out on the bed. Bob took the opportunity of that private moment to walk across the room, pick up the photo of the two men and study it. `Yes, they were two very happy men,' he thought.

Connie and Adam arrived while Bob was in the shower and they all gathered in the front room for a drink before dinner. Bob had never been exposed to this style of living but he decided he could get used to it real quick. During dinner Connie and Adam both talked about how much they loved Dave and considered him part of the family. Adam related a couple of humorous events he and Dave had while playing golf. Bob was surprised to learn that Dave knew how to play.

Connie and Adam spent the night and Sunday morning, after breakfast, they all went to church. Nancy and Bob had never been to an Episcopal Church but they were made to feel quite at home. Alex explained that they didn't have to observe any of the rituals if they didn't want to and nobody would care. The church was used to having visitors. After church, each time Alex and Steve introduced Nancy and Bob to someone as Dave's parents, they were immediately greeted with comments about what a wonderful young man Dave was.

After lunch, Nancy and Bob packed and Steve and Alex drove them to Love Field where they boarded the Lear Jet for the flight back home. Although Nancy was bursting at the seams to talk about so many things that had happened, she could tell that Bob was not in a talkative mood so she limited her comments.

And was Bob ever lost in his thoughts! How could so many people think so highly of his son? He felt he didn't know David any more, and he didn't. He began to feel so alone, the outsider. Everyone he knew had accepted David, why couldn't he? Steve and Alex knew their own son was gay and yet they accepted and loved him. So did his sister and her fiancée. They had all spoken of David in such glowing terms. Was David really like that? What kind of man had he grown into? Thoughts like those and others kept spinning around and around in Bob's mind.

Nancy and Bob walked into their home and took their luggage to the bedroom to unpack. Bob sat his bag down in the middle of the floor and stood still for several seconds.

"Nancy..." She looked at her husband. "I'll be back in a while." Without waiting for a reply he turned and disappeared out the bedroom door. Nancy hoped, prayed he was going to do what she dreamed he would do.

Dave was sitting at his computer refining the plans for his dream home when he heard the buzzer at the door to his condo. `Who could that be!' he wondered. He wasn't expecting anyone and people normally called to see if he was home before they came by. He walked into the living room and opened the door.

"Dad!"

"Hello, David."

(To be continued.)

Author's note: Based on a number of emails, it's obvious that some of you are more than a little anxious for Dave to find a new love interest. I assure you he will. There are just a few loose ends that have to be tied up before he can get there. Thanks for the emails, too.

Jeff