Laramie

Laramie Chapter 21

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As a reminder, the previous chapter ended in April of 2024.

**21

**

May 24, 2024, Memorial Day Weekend

Laramie Jenkins (35)
Freddy Spaulding (36)

Laramie

I hadn't seen Freddy in quite a few years. We still talked on the phone every month. I was so excited to see my old college flame and his husband, Josh.

Their flight landed at 3:30. I left work at 3, letting my supervisor team wrap up for the holiday weekend. We had limited hours from 11 to 3 on Saturday, and we were closed both Sunday and Monday. That was the beauty of being somewhat of a specialty store. We could actually close on holidays if we chose to.

I was excited for Freddy to actually meet Cooper. I'd spoken of him on the phone for almost two years now. It was time for them to get to know one another, officially.

The last time I visited with him and Josh, I still considered him to be the one true love I would have during my life. I never could have imagined the love Cooper and I shared. How things had changed.

The tri-city airport between Jackson Bend, Von and McCallan was about fifteen minutes north of town. Its regional size made it both unsophisticated and nonthreatening. Virtually everything was a connection unless one was flying to a nearby hub city, which most people would just drive.

I had checked to make sure their flight was on time. I arrived just as their plane touched down. By the time they deplaned, I was waiting for them just beyond security.

My heart was beating because I was so excited to see Freddy and a little nervous too. I couldn't fathom him not liking Cooper, but what if he didn't? What would I do if Cooper didn't like them? What was I thinking. Everyone was great. We were all great. What wasn't there to like?

Through a small grouping of people, I saw them make their way through the terminal. I tried to wave, but they both ducked into the bathroom. Minutes later, they went beyond the security checkpoint. They saw me immediately.

Freddy ran up to hug me. He all but lifted me off the floor.

"Ohhhhh, it's so good to see you, Larry bear."

"You too!" We were all smiles.

I moved to hug Josh. Our embrace was authentic. As close as Freddy and I were, Josh had always been understanding and accepting. I appreciated him for that.

In just over half an hour, we were in the driveway of our house.

"This is lovely," Josh said.

"The neighborhood is new, so the trees are on the short side, but we love the house."

"Nice size yard, too," said Freddy.

I opened the trunk. It was just a weekend trip, so each of them only had a rollaboard case. They both grabbed it, and I closed the trunk with an audible "thunk." I noticed them scanning the neighborhood as we walked to the front door. The houses on our street were well maintained. Many houses had flowers and landscaping put in for spring. It looked nice.

"Let me carry these up to the guest room," I said. I grabbed their luggage. "Help yourself to something to drink in the fridge."

I was so excited to have them here. Most company at the house was always Cooper's. Not that we had a lot of people over, but my circle of friends (outside of work) was pretty much Cooper's friends he knew from AA or our coffee group. Trent and Mike were originally friends of Lance, so that network was established. It was nice to have just a bit of personal ownership to our company.

When I came down, I noticed them getting some ice into their glasses.

"I'm sorry that we don't have alcohol in the house, but we'll go out for dinner tonight. You can snag a drink there if you'd like."

"No biggie," Freddy said.

"A bit early for wine anyway," said Josh.

I grabbed a flavored tea but drank it straight from the bottle.

I showed them the house. We went from room to room. For the most part, Cooper and I kept a tidy house. We never let too much clutter accumulate. We weren't ones to accumulate "stuff." I pointed out the carving I had made Cooper a couple of years back. It's called `Father and Son.' I made it for him."

"How thoughtful," Josh said.

When we got to Corey's room, it looked fairly respectable for a teenager's room. Cooper had made the fourth bedroom into a media/game room of sorts. We still watched most of our TV downstairs, but if Corey wanted to watch something different than us, it was easy enough. All the board games and video games were stored in that closet, as well as a card table.

"I'm so glad nothing was damaged in the tornado," Freddy said.

"Yeah. We were lucky."

We heard Cooper come in downstairs through the kitchen. He had parked in the garage.

"Hello?"

"We're up here; we're coming down."

As we descended the stairs, I heard Josh whisper, "Holy cow. He's gorgeous." I smiled. I knew they had seen pictures of him before. But he was.

"Freddy, this is Cooper. Cooper, Freddy."

They shook hands.

"It's so nice to finally meet you," Cooper said.

"Likewise."

"And this is his husband, Joshua."

"Fuck, you're gorgeous."

"Oh ... well, thank you," Cooper said, shaking Josh's hand, but taken aback. "I take it you have showed them the house?"

"Yes. It's an hour later in New York, so ... are you guys hungry?"

We waited another half hour, but once we offered them a few choices, they opted for McGee's. Freddy had a beer; Josh had a glass of cabernet.

"If you want a beer, you can have one," Cooper whispered to me.

"I'm fine." My fingers draped to the inside of his leg to convey the rest of my words: "You're sweet. I don't need a beer. I won't drink around you. I love you."

Josh and Freddy told us many things about New York, how it differed from Boston, their work and what their home — which sounded much smaller than ours — was like. Freddy and I reminisced about a few things from college, but as that isolated Josh and Cooper somewhat, we kept it brief. At least funny stories were easy to share.

We told them this was the place we had our first dinner, which elicited a unified "aww."

"Tell us about your son, Cooper," Josh suggested.

"He's a teenager. I think my ex-wife is at her wit's end with Corey. But he's a good kid."

"He's amazing!" I defended.

"Laramie has been teaching him how to drive. He gets his learner's permit as soon as school lets out."

"It's been fun," I said. "He eventually picked up on it. We've practiced in parking lots. We drove to a country road so that he could really get some speed going."

"I tried at first. It has been my greatest fear. I know it's irrational; every parent goes through it, but ... you still have pictures of when they were toddlers in your mind and for them to be behind the wheel ... it scares me."

"How nice of you to be so fatherly, Larry," Freddy said.

"I'm not a father!" I realized I had snapped that out too quickly. "I'm – I'm – I'm not ... not the father type ... person..."

I knew Cooper was looking at me strangely. I realized my reaction was odd.

"What are you talking about, babe? You and Corey totally connect. You're great together."

"We are. But I'm not his father. A father."

"It's just a word," Cooper said, kissing me on the cheek. "You're an awesome role model. You love him like he's your own son."

"I do."

Cooper went into an overly flourished monologue of how wonderful I was. He listed things I felt were irrelevant, but he acted like I had written a parenting manual.

"He even rescued me from `the talk.' I was floundering," Cooper said.

"Like ... the `sex talk'?" Josh asked.

"The `rimming talk.' Corey had heard things at school. I was about to die, but Laramie was my lifeboat."

"You looked like a drowned puppy. Someone had to rescue you," I said.

We kissed again.

"Ahhh. Young love," said Freddy.

"Might I remind you that I'm the oldest person at this table. I hit the big four-oh last year," Cooper said.

"But your romance is less than two years. It's marvelous to watch two people who adore each other."

Freddy

Cooper and Larry looked at each other and smiled.

"We sure do," Larry said.

I was happy for him. For more than a decade, I listened to my college lover lament being alone. He was fine with it, but deep down I knew he longed for love and had the capacity for it. Luck was never on his side.

I felt a bit guilty for being suspicious about Cooper for all those months, but I was slightly protective of my former boyfriend. I didn't want him to be hurt yet again. Cooper seemed to be a wonderful fit. Larry practically illuminated around him.

Who would have thought a man formerly in a heterosexual marriage, who has a kid and is an alcoholic would be the ideal match? Even the baggage from the former boyfriend seemed to have not been an issue.

It was nice that both of them included Joshua in discussions. My husband was sometimes excluded from the phone calls between Larry and me. It wasn't intentional, it was just the way things were. Josh was every bit a part of the conversation.

"Larry, I notice Cooper calls you Laramie. Is that what you prefer to be called?"

"Ha. Hardly. Growing up, I would get comments about it. Some thought it sounded biblical, like Lazarus. Someone thought it sounded like a horse's name. I would be asked if I was born in Wyoming. I hated it. I was named after some uncle or relative or something. I had never met him." Larry took a breath. "Then this man seemed to really like it. I said it was okay." He looked at Cooper. "Now I don't hate it. Cooper sort of has superpowers."

Cooper laughed at the compliment.

None of us were remotely hungry, but we overstayed our welcome, munching on peanuts and throwing shells on the floor.

A day of travel started to take its toll. They could tell we were tired, so we headed back to the house. Even though it was an hour earlier in Jackson Bend, 10:15 seemed too early for bed, but we were beat. They graciously let us call it a night.

"This evening has been wonderful," Josh told our hosts. "Thank you. You should have let us pick up the bill."

"We were happy to treat you. We'll grill out tomorrow," Cooper said.

As we slipped in bed, the lamp let us look at each other. I was naked, Joshua had lounge pants on, just as we did every night.

"I'm glad we did this," I said.

"I really enjoyed the evening. It's a shame they live so far away. I'd love to hang out with them," Josh said.

"Yeah."

"They're the most handsome couple I have ever met! Man, I want both of them to fuck me."

I laughed. "You know your husband is right next to you."

"You know what I mean."

My mind oddly went off in a strange direction. I pictured Larry fucking my husband while sucking on Cooper's dick. I stood to the side watching all the sexual activity. It was weird that I thought that.

I grabbed Josh's hand and placed it on my hard-on.

"Are you wanting me to give you a blowjob here?" he asked.

"Hell, no. We're too tired. I just like you holding it."

"I like holding it," he said, giving me a kiss.

I reached over to turn out the light. His grip on my erection stayed every bit as tight. We snuggled into a spoon position. Sixty seconds later, his clasp around my cock loosened, and I heard him wheeze through his nostrils. He had floated away. I couldn't have lasted more than two minutes after that.

The Next Morning

Laramie

I was the first one out of bed. It was Saturday, so sleeping in was fine. The microwave said 8:06. I got coffee started.

Three minutes later, Freddy strolled in.

"Sleep okay?"

"Like a rock," he said. "I think over nine hours."

"Good, because we're going rock climbing today."

"What!!??"

"Just kidding. What would you like to do?"

"Well, the point of the visit was to see you, so no matter what we do, we accomplish that."

"I'd like to show you the store, if that's okay."

"Sure."

"We'll grill out tonight. Maybe we can show you a bit of the town, what there is to see."

"That sounds good."

"We were wondering if you might want to go dancing."

"Really? Jesus, we haven't been dancing in two or three years."

"We have a club called Indigo that is techno and a country bar called The Black Stallion."

"Hmm."

"Cooper has gotten into line dancing."

"I wouldn't say `gotten into' exactly," Cooper said, entering the kitchen. "'Not as bad as he used to be' is more like it. Good morning, Freddy."

"Morning, Cooper."

"Did you sleep okay?"

"Completely. Josh is putting in his contacts. He'll be down shortly."

"It has really been nice meeting him," Cooper said.

"He wants both of you to fuck him," Freddy casually said.

We were blank.

"Uhh..." Cooper gurgled.

Freddy laughed. "That was a compliment, not a request." He laughed harder.

I threw a placemat at him.

"You guys don't have an open marriage, do you?" I softly asked.

"Us? Lord no." Freddy looked deep in thought. "There were two times. Once before we were married and once after. We did a three-way before and a four-way with another couple after we were married. It was `okay.' No biggie. But NEVER anything behind each other's back."

I could tell Cooper was flustered. That wasn't his scene.

"Breakfast is kind of simple. English muffins and fresh fruit," Cooper said.

"Sounds ideal," Freddy responded.

We all poured ourselves a cup of coffee. Freddy stirred in a splash of milk and half a teaspoon of sugar.

Josh entered the kitchen and morning pleasantries were exchanged. I placed napkins in the middle of the table, along with silverware. Cooper placed a platter of cut fruit in the center alongside them. He offered the first muffin from the toaster to Josh.

The sun hit the backyard. Our guests looked out the window.

"I just planted that tree right after the tornado," I said. "It's a red maple."

"Should look colorful in a few years," Freddy said.

"Yeah. I'm calling it Corey's Tree."

"You are?" Cooper said.

"I am. It's my first year to live with him. As he grows, so does it. I hope to live to be 85, so I can see it after 50 years."

"He'd be 65, possibly retiring," Cooper said.

"Yeah."

"The way he's growing, it might have to catch up to him," my partner said.

"That's the truth."

"Do you plan to always live here?" Joshua asked.

Cooper and I looked at each other.

"Hmm. I suppose. Everything I want is here. We don't have all the big things of the huge cities, but we also don't have the multiplied traffic and crime. I like visiting huge cities, but this is a better fit for me. Coop?"

"Me too. I can't imagine the cost of living there."

"Oh, trust me," I interjected. "These two have insane salaries."

"We do not have insane salaries," Freddy protested. "They sound bigger, but trust me, rent each month just eats it up."

"True," said Josh, stuffing a slice of banana and strawberry in his mouth.

I knew better. Those two didn't have kids. While their two-bedroom apartment wasn't even half the size of our house, it was still pretty posh from the pictures I had seen.

Freddy

I looked at Larry across the table. He looked good. His work kept him fit. Of the four of us, he was the most buff. It was obvious that Josh and I worked in an office and didn't belong to a gym. We weren't fat or anything, but we could use a little exercise.

I wished he hadn't worn a shirt to the table. It had to be more captivating than it was at college, and I liked it then.

And, again, I pictured him fucking my husband. What was the matter with me? And, again, I was hard. I needed to think about something else. Trees. Line dancing. Peanut shells. Grape jelly.

We warmed our coffee and sat out on the back deck.

"This is nice," said Josh. "With our apartment, we don't have a backyard."

"You have a view," Larry said.

"I suppose."

"Do you see your parents much?" Larry asked me.

I didn't. I felt guilty about that too.

"Twice a year," I said. "I don't get back to Kansas like I should."

"Do they come to New York?" Cooper asked.

"Rarely. I'd even pay for the plane tickets. Parents can be challenging sometimes."

"Yeah, they can," both Cooper and Larry said at the same time.

"Things are better with mine, I suppose," Cooper said. "Right after my divorce, I couldn't stand to be with my relatives. Since Laramie entered my life, it seems better."

I gave Larry a "look at you" look. He shrugged.

"They've been nice to me," Larry said.

"My family was pretty cold to my former boyfriend. They have warmed up to this one here though." Cooper kicked Larry's foot.

"Cooper made me go home to Kansas last year," Larry said.

"I remember. You told me your father and you patched things up a bit."

"We did. I can't say we're fantastic, but I don't dread talking to them. I hope to get back sometime this year."

"And your brother?" I asked.

"Grayson? He's good. He and his wife are now expecting."

"Oooo, you'll finally be an uncle."

"I think I'm better with kids Corey's age. The baby talk and baby clothes don't do it for me."

"Spoil the kid anyway," my husband said.

"I suppose. Josh, do you have any nieces and nephews?"

"Three. And they all love Uncle Freddy."

I beamed at his comment. It was true. All of Josh's relatives loved me. Mine were a different story. One of my uncles wrote me off once he found out I liked men. My parents accepted us, but they weren't overly warm. I hardly knew my nephew.

We sat in silence for a few minutes just taking in the morning.

—

Laramie

It had been a good day. I loved showing our guests my store. They seemed to like it. Our cookout was excellent, and we had a great time at The Black Stallion. I didn't think the two of them were eager to go, but once there, they had a ball. It was nice to hear Freddy bear laugh. I remembered it from college.

In bed, Cooper turned out the light and moved my body into his arms.

"Good day, huh?" he asked in the darkness.

I kissed him on the lips again. "Yeah. It was."

I rolled over, still in his arms. My face pressed into his neck.

"Does spending time with Freddy rekindle that spark?"

"You aren't jealous, are you?" I pulled my face back to see his as much as I could in the low light.

"Not at all. I mean, you see me with Mitchell and Natalie all the time. I was just wondering what you were feeling."

"He's been my best friend for so long. I can tell him anything." But I recognized things had changed. "Funny though. You're my best friend, Cooper. You're my partner, you're my everything. My feelings for Freddy were so intense for so many years. He's still a great friend, but ... hell, if I don't love you more than life itself."

I gave Cooper a peck on the lips. He returned with a full-fledged kiss. A hard kiss. Followed by a passionate kiss. Followed by hands on shoulders and necks and backs of our heads. We kissed fiercely. We weren't going to stop. Our crotches pressed into each other. I found myself grinding my organ into Cooper's boxers. I ripped them off my legs in a gymnastic maneuver. His hand found my erection.

"I suppose we could go upstairs and fuck Josh," Cooper whispered.

I laughed. "I just want you to fuck me instead."

We used our Corey's-at-home voices. We never turned on the lights. Lube dribbled on the sheets. Our moans were just heavy breaths. Our lips merged. Our flesh connected. My legs wrapped around his thighs as he thrust his shaft into my hole. Our grunting became more audible, but it wasn't anything they could hear upstairs.

"We're so fucking good together," I panted to him.

"Yeah, we are."

He ground his cock inside me with a snarl. I whimpered and whined at the pleasure of his thrusts. My limbs wrapped his body like a mummy. His staff filled my chamber.

"Coop."

"Babe."

"Cooper."

"Laramie. Babe. I'm ... UNGH!"

Cooper was too loud in his orgasm. But I fucking didn't care if they guys heard it. All I knew was that the love of my life was feeling pleasure with me at that very moment. His liquid was erupting inside me. He panted and gasped until his body collapsed on mine. I hated to feel his penis leave me.

"Stay on top of me," I whispered.

I held him close to me as I rubbed my cock into his stomach. My grip on his ass held him tight to me. I thrust into his torso, dry humping my manhood into his warm flesh.

"Yeah. Yeah, babe."

"Come for me, hon'. Come on me."

I groaned into his neck. My arms pressed him to me tight as cum released between our bodies. I was a thrusting-grinding-pushing machine for a long time. I had finished coming, but it still felt good to slide my dick around between us.

We kissed.

Our crotches were messy. We kissed.

My fingers ran through his hair. We kissed.

"I love you," we both said. We kissed.

"I guess Josh is out of luck tonight," Cooper said.

I chuckled.

"We need to clean up. We're a fucking mess."

"I hate to think what the sheets are like."

As we got out of bed, I reflected on my relationship with Freddy. With the two main loves I've ever had in my life under one roof, there was no contest. I would always love Freddy, but Cooper was the very definition of soulmate.

Monday

Freddy

It was going to be a shame to pack after breakfast. With a connection, our flight had to be this morning. I was going to miss Larry all the more. The distance between us was surmountable, but I was proud of the two of us for maintaining our long-distance friendship.

I watched him standing in his pajama bottoms fiddle with the coffee maker. I wasn't sure if it was my telepathy from two days ago or random luck, but he was shirtless. I loved Joshua with all my heart, but I could still appreciate Larry's body. I found him scrumptious, even more so a decade later. Our feelings were so deep in college. They hurt like hell back then, but the bond was so entrenched in us that we could never truly let each other completely go. Man, we were so young.

"I'll be right back," he said.

Cooper strolled in. "Morning."

"Morning."

"Your flight is at 10:40?"

"10:42 to be exact."

"We'll get you there by 9:30. The airport's small. You shouldn't have any issues, especially since you aren't checking bags."

"I have a quiche from a bakery from downtown," he said. "You guys are fine with that, as I seem to recall, right?"

"Sure. We helped Larry decide upon the type to tell you."

Larry returned with a T-shirt on. Damn.

The two of them found themselves wrapped in each other's arms. "Morning," they both said as they kissed and smiled at each other.

"You two are so sweet. When are you going to get married?"

"Uhhh... marriage isn't really my thing," Larry said. "But I'll love him forever."

"My fault. I know straight people hate that question when it gets pushed on them. I don't know why I felt our kind would be any different."

"Our kind?" Larry said sarcastically. "You make it sound like we are from another country or something."

"Gayfoundland!" Cooper quipped.

Larry went into a performance; I couldn't discern the accent he was going for. "Have you met the new neighbors from Gayfoundland? It's so nice to have more of their kind around here."

"I've always wanted to go to Gayfoundland," Cooper joined in, throwing in some flailing arms and flopping wrists.

"I've heard it's beautiful there," Larry continued. "The houses in all their rainbow colors."

"Gayfoundlanders are the most precious people. We must have them over for dinner sometime."

The skit carried on a bit longer. Joshua came into the kitchen and just stared. "What the hell is going on?"

Everyone had the giggles.

"Joshua, dahling, you must join us and meet the new neighbors from Gayfoundland this afternoon."

"I ... what? What. The. Hell."

"You know dear, all those lovely people who live in Gayfoundland," I chimed in. "It's so divine there with all the fabulous homosexuals. We just must go some day."

"Why does everyone sound British?"

We clued Josh into the conversation.

"Gayfoundland sounds like it should be in Canada," he said.

"No! That would be New Gayfoundland!" Cooper quipped.

We roared.

Josh added a Canadian accent to the gay production. The whole moment went on much longer than it should have, but we couldn't stop laughing.

"You know we are going to do that for the rest of our lives now," Larry said.

"We better."

Indeed. It was the icing to the cake of this visit. I had let go of every reservation I had erroneously held regarding Cooper. He was a wonderful man, and Larry was truly in love. It was a good thing. I hoped they could last forever.

Laramie

Joshua and Freddy pulled their luggage from the back. We intended to escort them in as far as we could. They had their boarding passes on their phone.

"Where's your connection?" Cooper asked.

"Chicago. The other direction," Josh said.

"Naturally," I added.

"This has been so wonderful. I'm so glad I finally got to meet you, Cooper," Josh said. They hugged. Cooper agreed.

Cooper hugged Freddy. I stepped over to hug Joshua.

Freddy and I stared at each other. Our eyes were momentarily lost in each other's gaze. We both knew — a different time, different circumstance. I could have been standing where Joshua is. I knew it would have been wonderful. I felt completely confident we could have lasted forever. But it was not to be. And I was completely okay with that because Cooper was my world. I wouldn't sacrifice one minute of being with him for something "that might have been."

"I love you, Larry bear."

"Love you too, Freddy bear."

We entered an embrace that was held for hours. My dear Freddy. My first love. I knew I had to let go.

We kissed goodbye, simple but tender.

"It was nice just to hold you," he whispered in my ear.

In the car, Cooper was all smiles.

"What a great weekend! I really enjoyed meeting them."

"Yeah. I'm glad they got to meet you after hearing about you all these months."

"So... any old feelings stirred up?"

"Yeah." I looked at him. "You still love Natalie, right?"

"Yes. In my way."

"And Mitchell."

"I suppose. Yes, I do."

"Part of my heart will always belong to Freddy. He was my first. Had the timing been different, I could see us as having been the real deal." My eyes got misty, and I wiped the moisture away. I looked at Cooper again. "But he's not you. Everything left of my heart belongs to you. You and Corey. As much as I wanted to hate Fate for so long for making us a year apart in college, I am so happy it turned out that way. You are the one I want to spend my life with, Cooper Snow."

He reached over and held my finger. He pulled it to his lips, and he kissed my hand.

"I feel the same, Laramie. I know you are the one. I love you."

We didn't say anything the rest of the drive home.

—

The next week, a thank you note arrived from Freddy and Josh. The return address had Gayfoundland.

July 7, 2024

Laramie Jenkins (35)
Michael Terry (34)

Laramie

"Are you excited?" I asked Corey.

"Totally. I haven't flown since Tampa."

"Yeah. You drove to Nashville last summer."

"I'm glad you can join us this year."

"And it's not just me, you have Mike and Trent, and Jakob and Lance. Mike has been planning this for a very long time. Are you worried about being smothered with all these grownups?"

"Nah. I like being with adults. Yours and Dad's friends are really nice."

"They like you."

"They hardly know me."

"Well, just don't turn all grumpy teenager-y on them, and you'll be fine."

"Hmm. I guess I'll make an effort."

We both laughed.

I put the suitcases in the SUV. Cooper came from the study. Our plane tickets had been printed.

"Are we ready?" he asked.

"Yep! We're loaded up."

It was a Sunday morning, so the streets were fairly empty. We picked up Mike and Trent fifteen minutes later. The SUV was full. Lots of luggage and lots of men. Mike and Trent even had to hold a couple of carry-on items in their laps.

"Are you excited?" Mike asked Corey.

"I am. You've planned this trip, haven't you?"

"Yes. Since last year. It isn't always easy to get rooms at the lodges at the National Parks. We have three rooms at both Zion and Bryce Canyon."

"It will be fun to fly too."

"Yeah. Tonight, we'll be in Las Vegas. That should be exciting."

"Mom doesn't like the idea of me being there."

I found that kind of amusing. As Mike and Corey discussed the trip, I smiled at Natalie's hesitance for Corey to spend the night in Las Vegas but was perfectly fine with him running off with six gay men. Nat had her quirks, but she had really come around to accepting Cooper ... and us. At least she had met all these gentlemen. They were all respectable.

"I'm looking forward to spending time with you this week," Mike said.

"Thanks," Corey replied.

"Me too," said his husband. "He and I haven't written songs in a while. Maybe we can come up with lyrics while we hike."

The rest of us laughed.

"I wasn't kidding!" Trent said.

We laughed harder.

We parked at the airport. Everyone had something to carry inside.

Once we found American Airlines, we were greeting with cheers. Corey was the first person Lance and Jakob hugged. It was heartwarming that the adults on the trip were understanding and accepting of a kid joining us. Granted, Corey wasn't far from being sixteen, but it was still a small concession they had to make. Of everyone, Lance would have to be the most careful of watching what he said.

Lance and Jakob kissed all four of us men on the lips. Corey didn't flinch. An elderly couple standing nearby seemed shocked. The woman put a hand on her chest and turned away.

Each couple had one large suitcase to check. It wasn't long before we were all going through security. Corey was fascinated with it all. Scanners, x-rays, security personnel looking at screens. It was still fresh to him. Not that I had traveled excessively, but I found it more "necessary" than fascinating.

The other couples had paid more for the exit aisle rows; they wanted the legroom. Since Corey was a minor, that wasn't an option for us. But we were right behind them.

The flight was smooth, and I was a much better role model for Corey than I was last year. I noticed Mike had a beer. I wanted one just to help me settle my nerves, but it wasn't bumpy. I was okay. Cooper was kind enough to take the middle seat again.

Mike

Cooper was nice enough to handle all the rental car arrangements. For seven men, we needed the biggest vehicle available. We were snug in a Chevy Suburban, but we made do.

Our group was splurging on the National Parks lodges, so one night at one of the less-luxurious hotels in Vegas was fine. The Linq was in the center of The Strip. Corey thought it was cool enough.

After taking a few minutes to get settled in the room, the seven of us strolled The Strip. We were able to get tickets to Cirque du Soleil's "Love," so we had about 80 minutes to grab a burger, watch the Bellagio fountains and take a few selfies.

Corey was the age of my students. I found a maturity with him that was rare in my classes. I had to credit Cooper, as well as his ex-wife, for being a good parent. Laramie was great with him too. So many of my students were either surly, argumentative or zombified looking at the screens on their phones. There were certain battles teachers chose, but we couldn't win them all. Corey seemed legitimately interested in spending time with us.

It was fun to watch Larry and Cooper co-parent. Larry would insist he wasn't a father-figure, but he clearly was. He and Corey ran into a nearby candy store to splurge on sweets for our drive tomorrow. They returned to the burger joint with their jaws stuffed with chewy sugar.

"Your mother would not approve," Cooper said to his son.

"That's why it's fun," Corey said, which made me blurt out a loud guffaw.

"You don't want to know how much it cost," Larry said.

"Well, let's keep the bag closed until we get it to the room."

It was warm, but we all put on pants for the show. A polo looked fine for a performance, but anything more would have probably been hot. As we walked to The Mirage, the streets were quite busy. Corey found the sheer number of people walking to be very interesting, and at its sheer simplicity, it was. We momentarily talked about the throngs of people that move around Japan without driving.

None of us had seen a Cirque show before. Jackson Bend wasn't big enough to be on any tour stops. Cirque du Soleil had several permanent shows in Vegas. We all knew The Beatles music at the core of the show. Even Corey knew most of the songs.

Quite simply, we loved it. It was a fun and hypnotic show. We all agreed there was so much to look at. Corey thought it was a blast, so it was a good choice for him.

As we strolled down The Strip, all the lights were coming on. I was the only one who had ever been to Vegas, so the rest of the guys were rather captivated. Instead of going straight to the hotel, we wandered a bit. A few street performers would entertain us. The Bellagio fountains were much more impressive at night. We passed a couple of girls wearing very little.

"Oh my gosh," Corey said.

"Don't take pictures; don't tell your mother," Cooper said.

Corey was all giggles and smiles.

I knew it wasn't any worse than a music video, but there is something to be said for seeing something live and in person, even if it happens to be breasts.

"You know, you could be one of these guys on the street if you took your shirt off," Trent said to Lance.

"You think?"

"Pick up a few twenties if you played it up."

"Please don't encourage him," Jakob sarcastically moaned.

There were actually some shirtless men here and there. Lance was built, but probably not quite as much as the studs looking for photo op tricks.

Lance looked at them. I knew he was comparing his own looks in his mind.

"If you were in a tight speedo, those guys wouldn't have a chance, angel," Jakob assured his husband.

Lance kissed Jakob for the compliment. He was right. That dick would draw a crowd.

We had gained an hour, so it was only 10:45, but our bodies said otherwise. We wanted a fairly early start, so we called it a night.

We were all on the same floor, but our rooms weren't next to each other. We hugged good night as we left the elevators.

"A good first day, don't you think?" I asked Corey.

"Totally awesome."

I gave him a hug and watched him walk to his room with Larry and Cooper. He was in the middle and put his arms around his fathers.

The Next Morning

Laramie

I had dozed off. Cooper was driving. I craned my neck to see a few of the others were too. Jakob was flipping through some magazines he had in his carry on. Lance's head was resting on Jakob's shoulder. Mike was likewise curled up to Trent. Corey was scrolling through his phone, as was Trent. I gave Corey a smile in the back.

"M'you `kay, babe?" I mumbled to Cooper.

He turned to me. "Meaning driving?"

"Yeah," I groaned, my throat a bit parched.

"I'm fine. We have about an hour left."

Everyone should have had at least seven hours of sleep last night. We got an early start, but not a crack-of-dawn early start. Even if I were to assume the others managed to make love, they should have been asleep by 11:30. But they probably didn't. We were all beat. Seeing a few of us had dozed off while Cooper was driving was testament to that.

"I'm not sure what we'll find further on, but St. George was too early for lunch."

"Yeah," I said, blinking the last bit of sleep from my eyes.

Within a few minutes, everyone was awake again. The extra nap helped those who took one.

"My Vegas post got several likes on Facebook," Corey announced.

"Good," Cooper replied.

"Even Mom."

"Good thing we didn't take you do Downtown and Freemont St," Mike said. "She probably wouldn't have liked the pictures of a nun in a string bikini with electrical tape on her breasts."

"Mike!" Cooper said.

"I'm just saying. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas."

"Can we see that next weekend?" Corey asked.

"We'll pass on that," his father curtly replied.

I saw Mike had a shit-eating grin on his face.

I inserted a playlist. Corey and I tried to come up with a few hours of music that everyone could like. That wasn't always as easy as it sounded, but we seem to have succeeded as Trent, Mike, Corey, Jakob and I sang along to a few songs.

"I wish I could sing," I heard Lance mutter.

We arrived at Zion National Park just before 1 o'clock. It was too soon to check in, but we took advantage of the restaurant.

I asked the server to take a picture of all of us. It would be the first of many. When Cooper, Corey and I took a trip, it was "a guys' trip." This was "the men trip." Although three of the men had ordered salads in the photograph.

To kill the remaining time before we could check in, we walked two of the trails right across from the lodge. The temperature was wonderful. Low 80s and blue sky. All of us managed to snap selfies and pictures of the natural setting along the way.

We checked in later in the afternoon. Everyone was pleased with their rooms, and we were glad we were staying within the park.

We hopped on a shuttle and rode to the last stop. From there, we hiked The Narrows for more than an hour. The water cutting through the high walls was glorious.

"I think I've taken about nine thousand photos," Jakob said. "This is marvelous."

"Agreed," said his husband.

We stopped to rest. As we all sat for a moment, I enjoyed seeing Jakob sit between Lance's legs and lean into his body. It had been a long time since I had been able to spend quality time with them. I liked them as a couple. They seemed so different but perfect for each other. I wondered if the others thought the same about Cooper and me. I snapped a picture of them.

Corey didn't see the need to sit down. He paced the area. "This place is awesome."

"I'm glad he's here," Cooper softly said. "This is a good experience for a kid."

"He's traveling with six men," I said out of the side of my mouth.

"He's still a kid. Just look at that energy."

"He'll remember this trip. I will too, that's for sure. It's nice with all of us here."

"Do you think everybody is too concerned about Corey?"

"I wouldn't say concerned. Maybe aware. We all have an eye on him."

"He so wants to be an adult. I'm glad he can still be a kid. Look at him skipping rocks."

"Do you think we should have asked him to bring a friend? Like Aiden or someone?"

"They would have gotten along fine, but ... he wants to be one of us."

"He's growing up so fast," I said.

Cooper sighed. "Yeah. Too fast. I think Natalie is getting a little exasperated with him."

"He's been on good behavior on the trip so far."

"He has."

We strolled back more slowly. It was interesting how the lighting on the rocks changed as the sun lowered in the sky.

Mike

Dinner was great. We liked dining at the lodge. I knew our credit cards were going to need assisted living when we got home, but this was the big trip of the year for us. I was the one on a teacher's salary. Trent and I were fine, but I think the others were financially better off than we were. But this whole trip was my idea, so I wasn't going to give my concerns too much weight.

"Can we sit outside?" my husband asked when we were done with dinner.

"Trent likes to look at the stars," I explained.

"The stars? Why?" Corey asked.

"Come see," Trent said.

Shortly thereafter, all of us found seating outside. Looking up, Corey could see a clear night of celestial sparkle.

"Wow. How can there be so many more stars here?"

"We're away from the city," Cooper explained. "There's less light to interfere."

"Cool."

It seemed appropriate for conversation to stop. We took in the grandeur of nature and the heavens at its finest.

"I became captivated with looking at stars on our honeymoon," Trent said.

"Where?" Corey asked.

"The Grand Canyon. I just wanted to look at them forever."

I remembered our honeymoon. We were so overwhelmed with how much we loved each other. Now, a few years later, J.T. was still the man he was then, just greater.

"J.T. and I just gazed at the heavens that week. Whenever we are outside the city, sometimes we'll pull over and just look up a while," I said.

"J.T.?" Corey asked.

"Trent is my middle name. My first name is Jeremiah. Not a fan of it."

"I can relate," Larry said.

"We like the name Laramie," Corey and Cooper defended.

Larry looked at me. "Mike, if I may say so, you look a little older. How did you and Trent meet?"

Lord. I hated that question. It always sounded so weird. "I was actually one of his high school teachers."

"Really!!? You dated your teacher in high school?" Corey asked.

"No! Guh. I hate even having to admit that Mike knew me that way," Trent said. "It conjures up such creepy images. I went back to visit him when I was finishing college. He helped me come out. You know what that means, right?"

Corey nodded.

"I thought he was a person I could trust. I was afraid to admit it to any of my friends. It was silly, but at the time, I was terrified to be myself. I thought `Professor Terry' could help me. I figured he could listen without judging. We never expected to fall in love."

What Trent left out was that we wound up in a school shower that day. It still haunted me, four years later. What could make a person lose all common sense like that? My pulse quickened as fears of being fired and ruining my career flashed through my mind. I often felt panic attacks coming on, but thankfully I could touch my wedding ring and resume breathing. J.T. became the love of my life following that incident. All the inner turmoil of our age difference went away.

"I thought for sure he would leave me in a heartbeat. I wanted to help him feel comfortable in coming out and being okay with who he was. We fell for each other, but I just thought I was his first crush. He would move on, you know, with someone his age."

"It was eight years difference," my husband remarked. "Not eighteen."

"I know. I never think about it all anymore. I just know I found the one I was intended to find," I said, leaning in to kiss Trent.

"Sweet," Laramie said.

Corey watched as all these gay men shared their tales. What would a young man think of such talk? I noticed he listened intently and would smile on occasion. He didn't seem freaked out or even turned off. I had no problem with him joining us on the trip, but it never occurred to me that I would be a role model in some small way in doing so.

"It was so easy to talk to Mike," Trent said. "My stomach was in knots every day — every day — my senior year. Just talking to someone made all the difference. Then in those last months, Lance and I became best friends. I could tell him anything too."

"Love you, buddy," Lance said.

"Corey, do you have anyone close that you can talk to about anything?" Cooper asked his son.

"I dunno. I could Grace."

"Really? A girl?" I asked.

"Well, not private stuff. Not guy stuff. But, if something was on my mind, I could always tell her how I felt."

"Did you break up?" Jakob asked.

"She moved several months ago."

"You're handsome as hell, kid. Girls will fall all over themselves to be your next girlfriend," Lance said.

"Whatever," Corey mumbled.

"What about Aiden?" Cooper asked.

"Maybe. I guess."

"When did you stop worrying about Trent and the age difference, Mike?" Larry asked.

"Well, he never felt it. It was all me. But the day we got married, I knew we had conquered every obstacle in our path."

"Aww," Jakob said.

"I still remember my wedding vow."

"You do?" my husband said in surprise.

"Sixteen months ago, you walked into my room having no idea you would change my world forever. In the past year I have not only found new places in my heart and in my soul, but you have filled them, expanding my capacity for happiness and love. I promise to spend every day of our lives just trying to attempt making you even close to how happy you have made me. I love you, Trent, and I will love you for all of my life."

My circle of friends applauded.

Laramie

Wow. That was impressive. Cooper and I didn't really talk about marriage much. It just wasn't us. But hearing something like that, I was moved.

"I say the vow in my mind fairly often," Mike said.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"I never want to forget the words. I want to mean what I said every day, every week, every month, every year."

Corey had listened to this adult talk of love. His eyes were focused on us, but he didn't interject. I watched his expression get serious.

"So, is mushy a gay thing or just an everybody thing?" Corey asked.

I leapt from my chair and covered Corey's cheeks with smooches. His body curled up in defense.

"Stop! Stop! Dad, make him stop," he protested between giggles.

Everyone laughed.

We headed to our rooms shortly thereafter. The three of us took turns brushing our teeth and taking our final pee.

As we undressed, a balled-up sock bounced off my head. My face jolted toward Corey.

"That's for being a dork," he said, but smiling.

He came around the bed to retrieve his projectile. I lunged at him for a quick hug causing him to shriek. He tried every impromptu martial arts move to free himself.

As we climbed into bed, Cooper turned out the last light.

"I'm really having a good time," Corey said in the darkness.

"We are too. Good night."

The sound of the kiss between Cooper and me could be heard in the blackness of the room.

"Love you, Cooper."

"I love you, Laramie."

"Yeah, yeah," came a voice from the other bed.

Tuesday

It was our full day in Zion. Once again, meals were emptying our wallets, but they were quality occasions. The three of us had slept well. With all the hiking done during the day, that was a given for the next night as well.

We had all taken numerous photographs. Corey moved his to his tablet. Cooper and I put ours on his laptop. I was pleased he hadn't checked on work yet. After looking at them, Corey asked if he could snag a few from my phone to put on his tablet. As beautiful as the park was, we managed to take a lot of people shots as well.

He started making a Facebook post.

"Should I ask for permission to post pictures of the rest of the guys?"

"They'd probably be okay with it," Cooper said, "But it would be a kind gesture to ask."

I looked at the clock. It was 10:04. "I'm sure they are still up. I'll go ask."

A light rap on Mike and Trent's door brought Mike to the door. He was shirtless — and smoldering hot. Whoa. That chest hair. They both said it was fine for Corey to post.

As I approached Lance and Jakob's door, I thought I heard a soft moan. It wasn't loud, but... An ear close to the door confirmed it. Had I just been walking by, I probably wouldn't have heard anything, but there it was again. A moan.

"You feel so good inside me, angel."

I thought the moan that responded was Lance's. It started to build. I moved away before he came.

I would text them instead.

Wednesday

Mike

I knew the drive between Zion and Bryce was supposed to be very scenic. We lucked out with beautiful sunshine. Whenever we could pull over, we did. Cooper was frustrated at first from constantly pulling the Suburban over to the edge. Then he got the giggles when we all screamed "Pull over, pull over!" For a fairly large group, we were getting along marvelously.

The drive between the two parks was a shorter drive. When we saw a small grocer, we felt it made sense to get some muffins and fruit for our rooms instead of paying for breakfast every morning. It was the first decision we made that was financially logical. We decided to grab simple fast food for lunch. Once we got to Bryce Canyon, we would be using the dining room for a few days.

It was too early to check in upon our arrival at the second National Park. We figured our bottles of juice would be okay in the car for a couple of hours.

We first parked so everyone could get an initial glimpse of the canyon from its rim.

"Dad," Corey said in disbelief. "What is this place?"

"Bryce Canyon, buddy."

"I know, but ... is this real?"

"It is pretty amazing, isn't it?"

"It's like from another planet."

I enjoyed watching father and son take in the magnitude of such a phenomenal site. It was magnificent, and it was the place of the first argument between Trent and me as a married couple. I wasn't going to make the same mistake this time. And thankfully, the weather was still supposed to be cooperative for the next two days.

Larry, Cooper and Corey held each other arm in arm as they stood frozen, gazing out at one of Earth's most amazing places. I remembered feeling that on our honeymoon, and even now, upon our return, it was still as impressive. It was downright hypnotic.

Jakob and Lance embraced each other as they looked on.

Trent came up behind me. He wrapped his arms around me from behind. "I'm glad we're back."

"I'm glad we have more time this year. I promise we will make that trail you wanted to do last time our first thing this time."

"I gotta text Mom," Corey said. His fingers tapped a mile a minute.

Larry walked over to me. "Thank you," he said.

"For what?"

"For making sure we all got here. To see this. It's so incredible, but ... to do it with such good friends, it makes it more magical."

"You're welcome. I always have to fit my vacations around the school schedule. I'm glad you didn't have a conflict."

"I'm the damn owner of the store. I'm starting to put myself first now and then."

I laughed at Larry's attitude. "Everyone needs to put themselves first on occasions. There's no wrong in that."

"I think the store can survive without me."

"How has business been?"

"Strong. One of the unlikely benefits of the tornado, if you can call it that, is several homes needed repairs. The big box stores couldn't keep up with everybody. Plus, some wanted to upgrade to what we offer."

"I guess that's a slight glimmer to a horrible situation." I reflected on that tragedy. "We were so scared that night. Trent and I were a nervous wreck when the sirens went off."

"I made sure to remain calm for Corey's sake. Cooper did too. I was used to them in Kansas. The twister hit one of Corey's friend's houses."

"Scary."

We continued to take in the scenery. There seemed to be no rush to move.

"You're a nice man, Mike."

"Thanks. You too, Larry. And just so you know, I'm with the others. I like the name Laramie."

"Gyuk."

I laughed at his reaction. "By the way, I grabbed some beer at the store. If you want to join me for one this evening, I'd like that. You'd be the only one among us who would do so."

"Trent doesn't drink?"

"He won't around his AA friends."

"Well, I won't around Cooper either. We'll see. Maybe for a short time."

Laramie

We had a glorious afternoon and evening. Mike and Trent led us on the trail that Mike accidentally caused them to miss last time. Dinner was wonderful. We noticed a pizza place on site. That sounded good for the next day.

"This might be my favorite place on Earth," I told Cooper.

"It rocks! I love it here," Corey said.

"It is pretty amazing," Cooper said.

I pulled my partner aside. "Mike has asked me to join him for a beer. I think he kind of wants the company but doesn't want to wave it in front of the others."

"Join him, by all means."

"I'd just have one."

"It's fine, hon', really."

"Perhaps you and Corey can do a father-son walk."

"Sure. Or he'll get online. One of the two."

Fifteen minutes later, Mike and I found a place outside. He handed me a beer.

"Thanks for joining me."

"I'm not sure the two of us have ever done anything by ourselves. This is nice."

"Cooper is okay with it?"

"He never has a problem with me drinking. I've just made a commitment to not do it when he is with me."

"Respect."

We could see the stars easily again this evening.

"So, what are they doing without you?"

"Cooper was worried he'd just want to get online, but they are taking a night walk on a trail."

"Nice." Mike took a drink. "You two have done a good job raising him."

I laughed. "I can't take any credit there. That's all Cooper — and Natalie, of course. I'm not the father type."

"Like hell you aren't. Corey has bonded to you in a way that would make most fathers envious."

"Really, Mike. I – I – I ... no, I can't assume a father's role."

"Say what you will, but you're great with him."

"Thanks for that at least."

"What are Lance and Jakob doing?"

"I don't know, but I heard them fucking the other night."

"Really?!"

"I was outside their door. More power to them. With Corey with us, I doubt if I get any all week."

"I'm sure you'll live."

"I actually gave Coop a blow job this morning while Corey showered. Quick. No time for me though."

"Switch it up tomorrow."

"Yeah." I drank some. "From what I'm led to believe, Lance is quite hung."

"Oh man, that dick."

"Michael Terry! Have you seen Lance's penis?" I immediately realized I said that too loud and looked around. We didn't have anyone too close to us.

Even in the onset of nightfall, I could tell Mike's face was red. He draped a hand in front of it as he looked down.

"You have!" I exclaimed.

"It's a horribly long and embarrassing story, Larry."

"I still have half a beer," I said.

"I'd need about two more in me to tell that tale."

"Does Jakob know? Does Trent know??"

"Yes, of course."

"You're suddenly twice as interesting, Mike."

"God no. I just wish I could make it all go away."

Mike

Boy, was that the truth. Trent and Lance in a school shower the day I met Lance... it was like a manual on making life's worst decisions. I breathed deeply for a moment. I set down my beer to feel my wedding ring. I breathed some more.

Larry's expression conveyed he understood my uncomfortableness. I appreciated that. He dropped it.

There was no way to explain that school event. Plus, we had our New Year's Eve tradition. Larry and Cooper would never understand that, particularly Cooper. Both of them were so hot, though. It would be fun to include them.

But no. The four of us loved each other very much. We didn't need to turn our annual tradition into an orgy. But, man, what did Cooper look like naked?

"Tell me about your honeymoon, Mike."

I did. I told Larry how the Grand Canyon had been idyllic. I told him of my regrettable error here and the rain that followed. I told him of romantic nights. I mentioned we started a journal together.

"You did? How interesting."

"He writes in black; I write in blue. It's here with us."

"How often do you write in it?"

"Whenever we feel like it. It's about four-fifths full. We've written a play together too."

"Seriously! You guys are amazing."

"I loved doing that. It was so enjoyable. No one seems interested in it, though."

"After Trent has written two?"

"Ours is a comedy. It isn't as heavy as Trent's material."

"I'd love to read it."

"Maybe one day."

We looked at the stars some more.

"I love it here," Larry said, gazing at the captivating skies.

"Me too. I'm glad we're all together."

"Indeed." He finished his beer but continued looking heavenward.

"Want another?"

"I do, but I told Cooper I'd have just one, so I'll stick with that."

"Okay."

"Want to hear something silly? Occasionally Corey and I have conversations in his room. He'll turn perpendicular to me and put his head on my stomach. He'll open up to me from time to time."

"Because you're a great dad," I said.

"Screw that, Mike. But ... I kind of picture all of us in a field here somewhere. All us guys laying around looking at the sky with Cooper's and Corey's head on my belly."

"That sounds perfect."

"This just may be the most perfect trip of my life."

"It's turning out even better than what I imagined," I said.

"I suppose I should head in," Larry said. "Thanks for the beer."

"You're sure welcome." I kissed him on the cheek. "Good night ... Laramie."

Thursday

"Thanks for last night," Trent told me. "I enjoyed it."

Sex last night had been pretty terrific.

"Me too. It's a shame we couldn't make love under the stars."

"Let's avoid getting arrested." We chuckled. "I'll shower first."

Trent kissed me and headed into the bathroom.

As I lay there naked in bed scratching my balls, I wondered if Larry was getting his blowjob this morning.

Laramie

"The men trip" kept getting better. We did a hoodoo geology talk, we hiked trails, we drove to scenic arches ... I was in love with the place. The highlight of the day was the sunset. All seven of us clustered at Sunset Point with many others staying at the lodge. Lance was lying down with his head in Jakob's lap. Mike and Trent held hands sitting alongside each other. Corey sat in front of Cooper and I. Cooper held my finger.

As we got up, I walked over to Lance. "You two are so adorable together."

"We needed this trip," he said softly.

"Uh oh. Are things okay?"

"Yeah. I guess." He lowered his voice as Jakob continued to walk back to the lodge. "He's become so busy. I was so proud of him with the store and everything. And I still am. But he's gotten involved with festivals and the youth center and become friends with the mayor ... I sometimes wonder if the day will come when he doesn't need me."

"Are you insane? The way he looks at you, the way he calls you `angel,' ... Lance, the man clearly thinks you hung the moon."

"Like I said, we needed this trip. Just for us to get away from Von was a good thing."

I hugged him, and we caught up with the others.

"Larry, I still have more beer. Care to join me for another?"

I looked at Cooper. He smiled and nodded.

"I'll have one."

As we all retired to our rooms, I went outside to where Mike and I were last night. He handed me a bottle.

"It must be hard to be partnered with an alcoholic at times."

"Not at all. The day Cooper chose me over Mitch, I knew then I would give up anything to make us work. It wasn't a sacrifice. He thinks it was, but ... really, Mike, I'd do anything for that man."

"Your love for each other is so evident."

"As is between you and Trent."

"I'm glad you think so. You worry about things becoming routine after a few years, but I still love him with all my heart."

I had to admit I was enjoying the beer. I so rarely had it nowadays that the occasional one was a real luxury. Glimpses of my drunken night last fall would occasionally flicker in my brain. I was determined that one would be enough.

"So ... this morning??" he asked.

"Mission accomplished." My answer made him laugh.

"Thanks for including us in your vacation plans, Mike. I'm sure you would have preferred just Lance and Jakob joining you."

"Don't be silly. I thought it would be fun all along to include all of us."

"We have a kid in tow."

"Corey's been wonderful. Don't give it a second thought." Mike gazed at the stars. "I like this men's trip. I think any more people would probably be too unwieldy, but we all fit in one car. Barely. I think we all know each other better after this week."

"Indeed." I gazed at the heavens. I took another swig. He was right; I did know each of the four of them better. "Mike, is it okay to say I love you?"

"Aw. Trent and I feel the same." He took a big gulp. "Can I put my head on your belly??"

I howled. I laughed for a solid minute.

"Michel Terry, you can put your head on my stomach any time you want to."

I stood and took a drink. Then I walked a few steps to where there looked to be lush grass. I set my beer on a flat stone nearby. Mike smiled, set his beer near mine and lay his body perpendicular to mine. His head rested on my stomach. I ran my fingers gently through his hair.

"I see why Corey likes it."

I chuckled, making Mike's head vibrate a bit.

We both could see the stars even better from this position.

"It's funny. I never said `I love you' growing up. My family didn't really say it. It wasn't until my brother Grayson and I lived in different towns that we were able to say it."

"How are things with your family now?" Mike asked.

"Fine. Okay, I guess."

"Hmm. But better than they were, right?"

"Oh yeah. I don't dread seeing them now. Dad asked me to forgive him for some things. I did. But ... after ... you know, not feeling wanted for a decade, it doesn't just click overnight. It's hard to be very emotional toward them. But ... we're better."

"A step in the right directions, I suppose."

"You are tight with your family, aren't you?"

"My parents are wonderful. Came out to them at 19, and they were supportive immediately."

"That's like a dream for so many people."

"I shudder to think of what Jakob went through," Mike said.

"I know. It's amazing how much his life has turned around."

Mike

It had. When we all met Jakob, he didn't even have a place to live. I will always love Lance for seeing something inside him, the true Jakob.

Larry reached for his beer. He craned his neck to take a small drink.

An older couple walked past us. They tried to act like they weren't paying attention, but even if we had been a man and a woman, we would have been obvious enough to look at. We were two bodies lying in the grass, after all.

"What were your family vacations like as a kid?" Larry asked me.

"Somewhat like this. We went to National Parks a few years. I suppose I've visited a dozen or so. One year was San Francisco. One year was New York. Toronto. Walt Disney World when I was a teen."

"Nice. Most of ours were to relatives. Long weekends. That's about it. Before Phillip was in high school, we went to Kansas City one year. That was about it. I've really only flown a handful of times."

I stood. I finished my beer. "I'm getting another one. Don't move that stomach."

Larry smiled up at me.

As I entered the room, I heard Trent talking to his parents.

"Mike says hi," I announced a few feet away.

"They say `hi' back," he said.

I returned with another beer. Larry's wasn't quite finished. I liked looking at him on the ground. He was a handsome man. I took a drink and then set it near his again. I resumed my position. As my head rested on his body again, I felt a warmth from a connection between two males.

"Trent didn't want to join us?"

"He's making some calls. He had a beer with me in the room last night. He might later tonight."

Larry's fingers combed through my hair again so softly. I thought it was such a friendly, affectionate gesture.

"Do you miss the kids over summer?" he asked.

"My students? No. When I'm with them, we're good, we're fine. But time away ... teachers need that to mentally decompress."

"When do you have to report back?"

"Ugh. Next subject please."

"Have you had sex with Lance?"

"Next subject please."

I felt Larry's stomach vibrate below me with quiet laughter. I would avoid that question at all costs. There was no way to answer it and make anyone come off looking good.

"Corey seems so okay with a gay dad," I said.

"Yeah. He's accepting of all people. Not just sexuality, but races and cultures. It's like he sees people for what they are — people."

"It's the way it should be. It probably would be if people didn't tell you to think anything different."

"But he has to be surrounded by kids at school. You can't help but hear things. I hear things from my students, and they aren't even talking to me."

"Do they tease you for being gay?" Larry asked.

"No. When word started getting out, I was scared I would have a lot of teasing. The kids were fine. They knew I liked them. Once Trent and I were married, I never really had anyone say anything negative. A few are probably repulsed by it, but they don't say anything. Not to my face anyway. At the end of the year, I always ask my students to write me a note on what they enjoyed best about my class. I actually had a few say they thought it was cool to have a gay teacher."

"That's nice."

"I guess, but it isn't the purpose of the assignment. I want to know what aspects of the class or assignments they liked. Not me."

"Just be glad they like you," he said, craning his neck for another drink.

I reached for my bottle. I took a big swig. As I started to recline again, Larry's hand on my shoulder guided me down softly.

A young couple walked by us. From their conversation, their accent sounded British. "You two are such a cute couple," the young woman said.

"We're not a couple, but thank you," I replied.

Once they were a few feet away, Larry turned his head toward them and called back, "But I'd be lucky if we were!"

I took another drink. "Flatterer."

We were quiet for a while, just content to be star gazers. I became aware of the slight rise and fall of his torso. Larry and I were almost the exact same age. If we were both single, I think we could have made a nice match.

He finished his beer with a final swig. He didn't seem inclined to move.

"Is it okay to say I love you?" he said.

"You told me that already."

"I wanted to say it again."

"I love you too ... Laramie."

He ran the back of a finger down my jaw, caressing my beard. Then he slowly ran his fingers through my hair again. I couldn't wait to tell Trent of our "belly moment."

"I suppose I should head back to the boys," he said.

"Mmm."

We didn't move. Rise and fall. Fingers. Stars.

I knew he needed to join his partner. I rolled down his chest to where I was looking at him in the face.

"Good night," I said, and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "I enjoyed our beer."

Larry walked back to the lodge. I grabbed my bottle and leaned up against the tree enjoying the cool of the evening.

Friday

Laramie

Mike had left us for much of the day. He said he wanted to borrow the vehicle. Cooper let him.

We did the longest trail today. It was exhausting but magnificent.

I had purchased three shirts: a T-shirt, a long sleeve and a sweatshirt. I loved this place.

Our final night in the park was fun. We had signed up for a ranger astronomy tour. It made the sky come alive. The telescopes were fun, but the Milky Way became so rich and vivid in our tour. I hated leaving tomorrow.

Once our night tour was finished, we began making our way to the lodge.

"I have one last thing I want us to do," Mike said.

Even Trent was unaware of what his husband had planned. We were all instructed to pile into the Suburban. Mike said he would drive.

"What are we doing?" Corey said.

"I have no idea," I said.

"Dad?"

"Dunno. We're just going to trust Mike."

It was a mystery.

Mike drove us out of the park. We had gone a few miles when he pulled off on a simple country road.

"Where are we?" Jakob asked.

"The middle of nowhere," said Mike.

He stopped the car. "Everybody out." He still had us confused.

Mike went to the back of vehicle. He opened the door and pulled out a large blanket that had been rolled up.

"Where did you get that?" Trent asked.

"I was on a mission. There are general stores right in Bryce."

He unrolled the blanket and gave it a snap to help spread it out. A patch of soft grass was below it.

"Larry, help me out."

The two of us spread the blanket until it was a complete square.

"Okay, Laramie, get in the middle. You are the center domino."

"I'm the what?"

"Just lie down."

I complied. I was apparently a center domino, whatever that meant.

"Cooper, get on one side of Larry, Corey you get on the other." They did. "Now, both of you lie down with your heads on Larry's stomach.

The three of us laughed. I had an inkling as to what Mike had in mind.

"Lance, your turn," Mike orchestrated. "Place your head on Cooper's stomach. Now, Jakob, you lie down with your head on Lance.

Jakob was all giggles.

"Corey, can Trent put his head on your stomach?"

"Sure," he answered, and he had caught the giggles too.

Finally, Mike got down on the blanket and put his head on the stomach of his husband. We were in a pattern. All of us were connected.

"Now what?" Lance asked.

"Now, we just look at the stars, one last night." Mike had completed his human artwork. We were one star-gazing male sculpture.

"I love this," I said.

"Me too," added Corey.

And then we were quiet. There was little traffic, so we could hear the whisper of the wind as it rustled through the brush near us. Every couple of minutes, we would hear a bird in the distance. It was if we were banished to another world.

"Dad, can we sleep out here tonight?"

"We are paying way too much for those rooms at the lodge to even consider that buddy." Some of us chuckled. "But we're in no hurry."

No, we weren't. I alternated combing my fingers through Cooper's and Corey's hair. Mike's idea germinated from our moment last night. It should have been eye-rolling silly, but it was wonderful.

"I wish we could have a drone to hover above us and take our picture," Trent said.

"I can take one," Jakob replied.

"No," I answered. "Then you'd be missing. This is one group shot we can't take; no one is allowed to be missing."

"Not to mention it's dark," said Lance.

I wished we had that drone to take such a picture though.

Mike

I wished we had that drone to take such a picture though. I was glad this worked out. We were so fortunate to have one last clear night. Here we were, a chain of men, connected by the cosmos, and I was the outside link. A chain of men whom I loved.

"I'm not too heavy, am I Corey?" Trent asked.

"You're fine." He answered very softly, but I heard it: "I like it."

I liked it too. I loved these men.

Trent moved his hand into the open collar of my shirt. I unbuttoned another button so his hand could move in further. He teased my chest hair. I liked it. We had made love the previous night, but I still got hard at his touch. Had Corey not been with us, I would have contemplated that we all lay here naked. It would have been our luck to have a state trooper pull up and arrest us.

But we were alone. No troopers. No tourists. No townsfolk. Just us. Just men. Mesmerized by the stars.

"Men trip," I softly said.

"Men trip," they softly echoed.

"Thanks, Mike," Lance said.

"You're welcome."

I felt Trent's hand at my shoulder. I reached back to hold it.

We stopped talking again. Our ears trained on the light breeze again.

It would be fun to do this on New Year's Eve, but it would be way too cold then.

The silhouette of a bird flew over us. And the breeze blew. The first car we had heard since spreading the blanket drove by on the nearby road.

I tried to remember the colors in the blanket. I tried to remember the feel of the fabric. I tried to remember what each of us was wearing. I tried to remember the trees on the horizon. I tried to mentally put into words the color of the sky that wasn't quite black but wasn't quite navy. There was no picture that could ever remind us. Only our minds, our memories.

We stayed past midnight. Jakob and Corey had drifted off. We awakened them to return to our beds.

Saturday

Laramie

We slept in until 9. I texted one last picture to Emory and one to Maria to show the staff. We had to prepare for the drive back.

Corey showered first.

"It's a shame we never got to fuck in this wonderful room," I told Cooper.

"Indeed." He felt my dick under the covers.

He devoured it for a few minutes until he heard the water turn off.

Shortly after 10, all three rooms of men were lugging suitcases to the Suburban. Cooper was ready to drive us back to Vegas.

Once Cooper started the ignition and we began to back out of our spot, Jakob said, "I have loved this week, gentlemen. It was extraordinarily beautiful, but it was made all the better by you being a part of it."

"Agreed," I said.

"Men trip!" Corey shouted from the back.

"Men trip!" we all chimed in.

Although we had a final night in Las Vegas, the vacation was winding down. We were all tired, so it served its purpose of letting us get away. We were relaxed and disconnected, things you want to accomplish while on a trip. I didn't look forward to returning to work. I loved the store, but not having to look at figures and schedules and order forms and wood was a gift.

There were a few lingering rock formations as we drove out of the National Park. I had decided it was my favorite place in the world. It made me realize there was so much more to see. I loved the beach last year with Cooper and Corey. This week was so incredibly perfect ... with these men. No matter what there was to see around the globe, I knew I wanted to share it. I applauded the courage of those who could just strike out on their own to see the world, but I decided I wanted to share it, to experience it with the people I loved.

I had no idea how long we really lay there on Mike's blanket the night before. I just knew I loved every second of it. The devotion among these traveling companions was deep. I got to be at the center of it. Mike was an artist.

I turned around to glance at the dear friends along with me. Corey was in the back with Lance and Jakob. Lance's arm was around Jakob, and his husband leaned into his built body. Trent was tapping on his phone just as Corey was doing.

Mike was seated right behind me. I texted him: "Thanks for making me the center domino."

I heard a tone on his phone. A few seconds later, I heard a small chuckle.

"I hope it's okay to say I love you, Laramie," he texted back. Even sitting behind me, he was sure to see me smile.

Cooper started the music. Ben Rector's "Brand New" came on.

"My song," he said.

"Oh?" asked Trent.

"Emory suggested it. When Mitch broke up with me and my world was a wreck, I asked him how he got through the hard times. He said he danced, even alone."

"Did Emory break up with someone?" Corey asked.

"His partner died, buddy. You've heard him talk about Gene."

"Oh. Right."

"This was the song he danced to. It really is about finding the right person, someone who makes you feel brand new. That was Laramie for me."

I reached for Cooper's hand and gripped it tight.

"Well, somewhere on this stick is Jennifer Lopez' "On My Way." That's our song. I made sure to put it in the mix.

Mike

"Trent wrote our song," I said.

"Really?" Larry asked, impressed.

"Can you play it for me when we get home, babe?" I said, looking into Trent's eyes.

"Sure," he said before going in for a kiss.

Corey asked Lance and Jakob if they had a song.

"'True Colors' by Phil Collins," Lance replied.

"I wish I had known," Larry said. "I would have made sure to add it to the playlist."

"I see your true colors, shining through," Jakob started to sing. "I see your true colors, that's why I love you."

Cooper had silenced the stereo so that we could hear Jakob. He only did a few stanzas, but Jakob had a beautiful voice.

"Okay, normally I'd get on to you guys for being mushy, but that's all pretty cool," Corey decreed.

Then Cooper cranked "Brand New," and we all sang along.

—

We arrived at The Linq just at the time that rooms were becoming available.

After we all got our keys, we grouped before heading to the elevators.

"Game plan?" Cooper asked.

"A nap sounds nice," I said.

"Let's do something. Let's do something. Let's do something," Corey pleaded.

"Ah, the energy of youth," Trent said.

"You realize you are closer to his age than you are mine," Cooper sarcastically informed Trent.

I laughed, doing the math.

We agreed to meeting downstairs at 5. Most of us wanted to rest. Corey conceded to explore the Promenade behind the hotel on his own. As long as he had his phone, Cooper was comfortable with it. I wondered if Larry and Cooper would take advantage of the alone time, but it wasn't my place to ask. Larry looked like he was about to sleep standing up, so I doubted it.

Once the luggage was pushed to the side, I flopped on the bed. I reached my arms out for my husband to join me.

Trent pulled his shirt off and slid the curtain closed. I leaned up to pull mine off as well.

I reached out once more, and Trent moved into my embrace. Quickly, his fingers were wandering the fields of my chest hair. Four years into our relationship and I still loved that.

"Had Corey not been with us last night, I could have seen us all laying on the blanket naked," I said.

"Funny. I thought the same thing," Trent returned. "But Cooper never would have gone for it."

"Something tells me Larry would. Man, it would be nice to see both of them naked."

"They are quite the delicious couple."

We were both out in two minutes.

—

A rap on the door awakened us at 5:11. I slogged off the bed to open it.

"Ooooo! Shirtless. Thank you," Larry said.

"We're getting up," I said. "Sorry, we were dead to the world."

"We're all downstairs."

Once we joined them, we decided fast food was fine, but we were unsure of what to do for the evening. Vegas had a million shows, but we weren't all in the mood for that.

"Can we go see the nun downtown?" I heard Corey asked Larry.

"I'll see what I can do," he whispered.

"If we just want to walk around, Freemont Street has live bands, and the entire street is covered with a canopy. It's a huge video screen. It's pretty cool," I said, trying to get the ball rolling.

"I'd be game for that," Lance said.

Everyone else nodded. Cooper hesitated.

"It'll be fine, babe," Larry told him.

"Yeah, Dad. C'mon, c'mon."

"Fine," Cooper acquiesced. "But can we sit around the pool a bit, at least until it gets closer to being dark."

"That's probably a good idea," I said. "I imagine the bands start later. The good thing is it's all free. Area 15 could have been an option, but all the experiences cost something."

Corey and Cooper got in the pool. Most of us just lounged around it. It wasn't an amazing pool, but the lively music and the opportunity to do nothing was still pleasant.

I had a beer. The others were content to just relax.

We planned to leave at 8, so most of us headed up around 7:30. Cooper and Corey felt they should freshen up a bit after swimming.

"There are times when Corey seems to enjoy being a kid and other times he tries so hard to fit in with us," I said to Larry.

"I know. He's a great kid. He's almost 16. I felt Natalie would have told him no if he wanted to walk around on his own, but things are safe here. Allowing him to explore around the hotel was fine. Coop was okay with that as long as he didn't go far."

"I'm impressed he found his way back to the room," Jakob said. "In this world of casinos, it seems like there is a set of doors on all sides of the hotel. I get so turned around."

We chuckled.

"Corey is so smart. I think he made one B this year," Larry said, sounding like a proud father.

"There will be a few things that will make Cooper uneasy," I told Larry. "Be there for him tonight."

"It can't be that bad."

"It's not guaranteed to be that bad, but there are enough weirdo things down there. It's a different crowd."

Less than an hour later, we were parking in a downtown garage.

Once we walked under the glaring canopy of Freemont Street, my traveling companions were impressed.

"This is so killer!" said Corey.

"It's sensory overload, to be sure," Larry said.

The sky was starting to get dark, so the overhead video images were vivid. We strolled a bit. At one point we heard whoops above our heads and looked up to see ziplines flying a pair of bodies down the street.

"Awesome," Corey said.

At 9 o'clock, a show started on the canopy. We stopped walking and just watched for a bit. The music was very upbeat, so it was lots of fun. Jakob and Lance slightly danced to it. Trent was totally into it.

We saw a Black man with wild braids pounding on buckets. His drumming was very good. It wasn't exactly the way I would choose to make a living, but to each his own.

We had all taken a few photos of the Freemont Street Experience. I took a couple of Lance and Jakob. As more people zipped by overhead, I took one of them too.

Bands started playing. We heard one that was classic rock. The street was already busy, but it seemed to get more crowded. I smelled pot at one point. I looked at Cooper and Corey. Cooper smelled it too. Corey didn't seem to determine what it was. Thank goodness.

Two scantily clad girls with huge feathery headdresses posed for pictures. They weren't nude, but big breasts were all but bulging out of the skimpy outfit.

"Ohhhhh, Natalie would kill me," Cooper uttered.

"There she is," Corey shouted.

We saw her. A girl most likely in her mid-twenties had virtually nothing on. She was wearing a nun's habit and the bottom to her bikini was not much more than strings. She had no top. Two Xs were covering her nipples. They were made of electrical tape.

"Do not take pictures and do not tell your mother," Cooper instructed Corey.

"Daaaaaad," his son, sarcastically sad. "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas."

The adults laughed.

We came across a new band. It had a more country-rock sound. I could tell Laramie loved it. We listened for a few songs.

I observed the crowd. It was a completely different audience than what was on The Strip, but it was still fairly harmless. People were drinking, it was loud, there were a few scantily clad street artists ... but nothing was traumatizing. For its adult "edge," Corey seemed unscathed.

A man in drag walked by. He was wearing tall, leather, black boots, a halter top with a pink sequin jacket and leather hot pants. The wig was huge and all jacked to Jesus.

"She was interesting," Corey said.

"Because she was a man," Lance said.

"Ah." Corey turned back to look again. "Okay then."

We saw the loading platform to Slotzilla, the ziplines overhead.

"Can we do this?" Corey asked Cooper.

His father sighed. "It's only money. I suppose."

"I'll join you," my own husband said.

They purchased tickets. Trent gave me a kiss before his journey.

"Well, that was a hundred-fifty bucks," Cooper told Larry.

"Just have fun."

"We'll film you from down below," I told the trio.

"Where will you be?" asked Trent.

"Right here in front of The Four Queens," I replied.

"That's appropriate," Lance deadpanned.

Off they went. It took them a short time to get to the entrance, climb the stairs and get hooked into the harness system.

"It's them," Jakob called out.

We saw them zoom toward us in a flying superhero position. They were eleven stories in the air, allegedly flying five blocks.

Trent waved enthusiastically at us.

"Men triiiiiiiiiiiip!!!!" the three of them yelled as they soared past us.

September 13, 2024

Laramie Jenkins (35)
Cooper Snow (40)

Cooper

I had picked up Corey from school, but I hadn't told him the news. I would wait until Laramie would get back from the hospital. It made more sense to know the facts.

I paced the kitchen. I felt Corey could sense something was wrong, but he didn't say anything. He carried his schoolbooks up to his room.

He came back downstairs.

I saw him look at me. My hands were gripping the counter; I knew I looked distressed. He reached in the fridge for a Dr Pepper. When he popped the tab, he finally asked.

"Dad? Is something wrong."

"I'm not sure."

"Did something happen?"

"Yeah, son. I don't have-"

The front door opened. Laramie walked in. He looked at Corey and then me.

"I haven't said anything yet. How is he?"

"How is who?!" Corey insisted. "What happened?"

"Emory," Laramie said.

"What happened to him?"

Laramie took a deep breath. He looked at both of us.

"Don took Emory to the hospital. It looks like he had a stroke."

Corey looked as if he was trying to process the news.

"How bad is that?"

"Well, it varies," I said. "Some can be severe; some are milder cases. It's when a blood vessel gets blocked or burst and can't get oxygen to the brain."

"Is he okay??!!"

"He seems to be," Laramie assured Corey. And me.

"Can ... can we see him?"

I looked to Laramie for the answer.

"In the morning," my partner said. "They've run tests. We'll know more then."

Corey moved into my arms. I held him.

"I know Laramie was going to take you for your driving test tomorrow. Would you like to see Emory first?"

"Yes," he said, squeezing me tight.

"Hopefully a visit from us will lift his spirits."

"This is scary," my son mumbled into my shoulder.

"It's going to be okay. This is fairly common, but, of course, it's something you don't want to happen."

We weren't super hungry. We felt a bowl of soup would be fine.

"Can I buy him a card?" Corey asked.

"I think that would be nice," I said.

We went out to find a card. Laramie and I looked over some flower arrangements at our grocery store. We weren't sure if Emory would appreciate them, but we found something we liked regardless.

Laramie

None of us had slept particularly well. We managed to get some sleep, but not necessarily great sleep.

Content with Raisin Bran and coffee, we fumbled around before we headed to Jackson Bend Memorial. We were all showered. We tried to look fairly nice for our visit, but we weren't dressy by any means.

I drove. I looked at Corey in the rear-view mirror. It was unusual for him to not be fiddling with his phone, but he just looked out the window.

"Dad, well Emory look different?"

Cooper looked at me to answer.

"Not really. Just a touch maybe. But ... kiddo, expect him to sound different, okay? His speech might sound slurred. It may be ... well, not his old self."

"Does that last forever?"

"Not necessarily," Cooper said. "But ... he'll have therapy and his condition should improve. We just don't know at the moment. The doctors might have more information."

I locked the truck doors after we got out. The two of them started walking to the hospital entrance. I walked more slowly. I hated hospitals. I always had. It was probably because of all those years with Mom being in one.

I knew where his room was, but we checked in at the reception desk.

We stopped just outside Emory's room. Cooper looked at his son.

"Be strong. We can do this."

Corey breathed in. "Okay."

"Knock, knock," Cooper said, rapping on the door frame.

"Come in," Don said.

"Good morning," I said.

The sheer hospital-iness of the room unsettled Corey. He wasn't used to seeing his friend in an environment such as this.

Corey handed Emory a card. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Better, now that you're here." Emory attempted a smile. "I bet I sound different, huh?"

"Maybe a little," Corey admitted.

"It's nice that you all are here," Don said. "Thank you."

"You never did tell me what you wanted me to sneak in," I said.

"Talk Brad into bringing me a cinnamon roll," Emory said.

We all chuckled.

I hadn't thought of Brad. We had texted several people last night: Mitchell, Natalie, Mike, Lance, Pedro. I would tell Brad as soon as we ended our visit.

Don took the flowers from Cooper's hands. We had chosen a nice vase. "These are lovely."

"I'm surprised you brought me flowers," Emory said.

"We thought they might make a hospital room a little cheerier."

"Well, they do, but ... I love flowers. I don't really tell people that, but I do. Thank you very much. I think they are beautiful."

It was only an arrangement from a grocery store, but it was the nicest one they had.

Emory opened Corey's card. Immediately, a gift card for a sundae fell out. He picked it up off his blanket. "Hey! Another sundae." We all smiled.

Emory's eyes darted through the words on the card. Inside, Corey had written a special message. I watched Emory's eyes. He read it three times. His eyes slightly watered. I had watched Corey write something last night, but I had not read what he had written. It must have touched Emory.

"Thanks, kiddo." I could detect Emory's eyes watering a bit.

Corey was sitting on the edge of Emory's bed. I could tell Emory wanted to reach out to him, but after a split second, he used his other arm. We all noticed.

"The good news is that with therapy, he should regain most of his movement," Don said. "Plus, it is his left side, so we feel he should be able to drive. Not right away, but eventually."

"It was a good thing we got here quickly," Emory said.

"I saw him looking at his arm," Don said. "When I asked, I could tell by the way he answered what was happening. It ... it wasn't my ... first time in this situation."

I had no idea who in Don's life had a stroke before. Parent? Relative? Lover? I was grateful that he knew what to look for and knew what to do.

We visited for about fifteen more minutes. When it was time to say goodbye, Corey asked, "Is it okay to give you a hug?"

"That's what they prescribe the most," Emory winked.

Corey hugged him in his bed. Emory wrapped one arm around him and squeezed him tight. I watched the other arm struggling. It was a gut punch.

—

We let Corey drive Cooper's SUV to the bureau.

"Are you sure you are up to taking this test?" Cooper asked.

"Yeah, Dad. I'm fine."

"I know, but what with Emory and everything."

I'm fine. I ... I'm sad that he is in the hospital, but we planned on doing this. You were too scared to come remember?"

"I wasn't ... scared. I – I – I just ... you are a very responsible young adult, but as a parent, I just have fears of things that can happen when you're on the road alone."

"So ... scared."

"Fine. You know it is because I love you and want to keep you safe."

"Oh, whatever! I'm fine. Laramie has taught me well."

I smiled. Both the compliment and the father-son bickering amused me. I knew Cooper had been dreading this day for years.

We got quiet for a moment.

"If Emory had suffered a stroke on the other side, would there be a chance he could never drive again?" Corey asked.

"I can't answer that, son. I just don't know."

"We'll just pray that his therapy works well and that his recovery is swift," I said.

"You two don't pray," Corey said with just a hint of snide undertones.

"And just how would you know that?" Cooper scolded. "You have no idea. I'll have you know that I pray to God regularly. And since you've had your learner's permit, I'm praying all the time."

"Ha. Ha," Corey said, flatly.

Corey parked. It was slightly crooked, and he didn't want to make a bad impression for the instructor. He took two minutes to make sure the vehicle was perfectly equidistant between the lines.

Corey went to the counter. They gave him instructions on where to go and what to do for the vision test and the written exam.

After he took the written test, he returned to us.

"How do you think you did?" I asked.

"It was a breeze. I studied."

We sat for a while awaiting an instructor. Eventually his name was called, and Corey stood.

"I'll pray," Cooper said, with just a slight bit of callback sarcasm.

Corey turned to us. I expected snark to be thrown back at his father. He looked at both of us.

"Can you just promise me you'll pray for Emory," he said softly.

Both of us were disarmed. "We promise," I said.

They walked outside. We sat in the same chairs while they were away. I wasn't sure if Cooper said a prayer or not. Knowing Cooper, he did.

My prayer was fairly erratic. I never felt I was worthy of God listening to me. I never prayed for me. But I did earnestly pray that Emory would get better. I did pray that Corey would always be safe when behind the wheel. I did give sincere thanks that these people were in my life.

Twenty minutes later, they returned. Corey was all smiles. "I think I did a good job."

"He did an excellent job," the instructor said.

"Great," Cooper said. He paused. "I think."

We knew it was a next step in independence for our son.

"Our" son.

* * * *

A new blog post related to this chapter is at timothylane414stories.blogspot.com. It is called "Gayfoundland."

Email: timothylane414@gmail.com