Together Forever

The Candle lit Veranda

Coming down the hallway, which he had explored carefully the past few hours, it was not that difficult to find his way anymore. With the new day, it’s if there was new life in this cold building as the voices echoed down the hallways. It almost felt if hope returned from the dead of night, yet he knew what was awaiting upon him around the next corner. The heavy dread of pain. A crushing feeling of fear. Fear that Kyle is still in danger. He could feel it creeping deeper into his mind with each step that he takes. That struggle; the fight to live. Kyle was now the one that needed to fight, but did he want to, that was the question he feared the most.

Sean noticed that Kelly and Jonothan returned from home. He thought that a few hours away could not make a difference, yet when he saw Jonothan it was clear. The boy was not as anxious as a few hours ago. He seemed composed, in spite of the shock from the accident. Was there something Jonny knew that he did not? Perhaps his medication stabalized his mood? Yes, it must be the medicine. Both still appeared to look tired. He could see how tired Kelly was. Her shift just ended a short while ago “I bet she did not get any sleep since then. Having to look after Jonothan.” He aslo felt tired, but he drifted to sleep for a while.

Jonothan was thrilled to see another familiar face. Being surrounded by people he knew, made him feel safe. It had a calming effect on him.

“Morning.” Sean greeted them.

“Morning.”

“Here, I see you need this.” Sean said as he handed a fresh cup of coffee to Kelly and the other one to Jonothan. He only thought to buy two cups of strong coffee as he did not think they will be back so soon.

“Thanks” they replied, but Jonothan declined.

“Any news yet?” he asked.

“No, the Doctor went in about thirty minutes ago, but haven’t said anything.” Jonny replied

“It can only mean that he woke up.” Kelly replied after appreciating a sip of caffeine.

“Why do you say that?” Sean looked at her.

“I’ve seen it many times. When the patient wakes up, the doctor takes a little longer than a normal routine check. “

“Off course” he thought to himself “she’s a nurse.” Sean’s heart stirred with excitement as he felt a flickering light of hope rising. He noticed an expression of relief with Jonny too.

Nearveously waiting for the Doctor to make his appearance with the update he asked where Michelle was.

“She stepped outside for a quick smoke.” Kelly replied.

Sean took a sip of coffee. Scrambled voiced whispered over a radio down the hall. He turned to see what is going on and noticed a nurse directing two Police officers to where they were waiting. The tension was present again. “Where they here for Kyle”. Sean thought to himself. “What is going on?” Was it Kyle who was under investigation, or was there someone; something else responsible? His heart raced with all the possibilities fighting in his head. The Police officers walked passed them if they were not even standing there and straight to the door, where Doctor Connors was still busy with Kyle in the room. For a brief moment they paused, before entering.

“Hey.” He jumped at this greeting.

“Damit, Michelle. Do you want to give me a heart attack!” Sean said, not happy with her sneaky approach.

“Sorry, I did not mean to startle you.” She looked at him. He could see that it was really just by accident.

“Here, I have some coffee for you. Hope you don’t mind, but I took a sip.” He handed the still warm cup to her.

“It’s not a problem. Much appreciated.” She took the cup. “Guys…” she leaned forward to whisper “while I was outside, I heard the Police talking.”

Everybody was curious to hear what she had to say and closed the gaps between them.

“Aparently, they suspect that someone tried to run him off the road.” Michelle said

“What…?” Jonothan replied with shock.

“Do they have any idea who?” Kelly asked.

“I’m not sure. All I heard was that a collision from behind was evident on his car.”

“s**t!” Sean exclaimed. “If I find out who it was, I’d like to run them into the ground.” He said without thinking.

“Let’s wait to hear what the Police think.” Michelle placed her hand on his arm, trying to calm him.

“Police?” He scoffed. “What good are they these days?”

Sean was growing impatient with this waiting. No one is giving them answers and the questions just keep piling on. He needed to offload this frustration, but did not want to step away for a cigarette, now. “With my luck, I’ll be out the door, when the Doctor decides to talk to everyone.” He thought to himself. Sean walked to one side, a few steps away from everyone. He scrolled on the phone, trying to phone Vicky. The phone was just ringing relentlessly with no answer on the other end. “What the hell is going on with her?” his concern was growing. “I do not have time to worry about her now.”

The Police emerged from the room, followed by Doctor Connors. “What’s going on?” Sean asked. Everybody was staring at the Police then back to Doctor Conners. No one knows which answer they want first.

“Well…” Doctor Connors started to speak “he is awake now, which is a good sign.”

“Why do I sense a ‘but’, Doctor.” Kelly asked.

“It’s nothing to be concerned with, but his memory is a little scrambled.” It’s absolutely normal this early in his recovery.” the Doctor said, trying to put everone at ease. “The best thing for him, would to rest as his body begins to heal.”

“Can we see him, doctor?” Jonothan asked.

“Yes, but I will only allow you to see him. He is weak and cannot handle too much at once.” Dr. Connors replied as he gestured Jonny to enter the room.

Sean was not happy that he could not see Kyle at the moment, but he did not want to drain his energy. What he wanted is not important now, only Kyle’s recovery, even if it meant to wait a little bit longer; which he hated entirely.

“You can come to see him this afternoon, if he’s up to it.” Dr. Conners said to Sean as he noticed the frustration on his face.

“Thanks, Dr. I will definitely be here.” He replied, not sure what exactly to feel.

When Dr. Connors left, the Police approached them for a few questions. No one knows exactly what happened or why Kyle was out in that part of town. It was not a safe area to be in after midnight. It was a breeding ground for drug dealers and crime prospered in that dark part of town.

They wanted to know if Kyle was dealing drugs, which everyone confirmed. “He never dealt drugs in his entire life.”

“How about the use off drugs?”

“No, not anymore. He’s been clean for more than four years now.” Sean replied.

“Excuse me sir, how are you related to Mr. Pierce?” they wanted to know.

“Well, he’s my fiancé” he replied and that familiar look of disapproval appeared in their expressions.

“How long have you been together?” trying their best to appear professional.

“We started to work together almost a year and a half ago and we’ve been together for almost a year.” He replied with a stern voice.

“And you were aware of his previous drug use?”

“Yes, he told me. I support him in this personal struggle, but he did not have any replapse, if that’s what you are asking.” Sean tried to make this process go a little faster. “Did you find drugs in his system?”

“No, he was clean.” The taller officer replied.

“Now, what about the incident itself? What happened there?” Sean asked them bluntly as he got tired of this useless back and forth that’s going nowhere.

“It appears that there was another vehicle present at the scene, but we do not have any eyewitnesses.” The fat officer said. “We’ll come by later to see if Mr. Pierce can recall the events in a better light, as he is not capable to do so now.”

“It would be great if you could find the responsible party for this accident.” Sean said.

“We will continue with the investigation, but at this stage, there is nothing more than Mr. Pierce’s recollection of the events. We’ll be in contact again.” They said as they thanked them for their co-operation and made their way back down the hall.

Watching them leave Sean thought to himself “i***t one and fatso two. What help will they be? How motivated are they really to serve justice?”

Jonothan came from Kyle’s room and he noticed that he appeared to be calm. Seeing that his brother is still breathing reassured him that everything is not as bad as it appeared to be. Just noticing that change in Jonny’s demeaner, inspired a sort of calm with Sean too.

“You can visit this afternoon again.” Doctor Conners informed everyone. “All that Kyle needs to do, is rest for now.”

“Thank you doctor.” Jonothan responded.

“We appreacite all your efforts Dr.” Kelly said with a smile.

“Well, I suppose there’s nothing more that we can do now, but wait” Michelle broke the brief moment of silence.

“I will take Jonny home.” Kelly said. “Is it fine if I sleep for a couple of hours at your place?” she looked at Jonothan.

“Sure, no problem.” He replied.

“Sean, do you want to get a coffee?” Michelle asked.

“Thanks, but I have things to do at home.” He replied, while fiddeling with his phone.

“Okay, shall I meet you here this afternoon?”

“Yes, that would be perfect.” He smiled at her, his eyes was burning. Between not sleeping, drinking and crying, he needed to rest his eyes a bit.

Everyone slowly started to make their way to the parkinglot. They said goodbye for now and off they went into their own directions. Sitting in his car, Sean noticed the overnight bag still lying on the back seat. He wanted to bring it for Kyle, but this afternoon is just as good, given that he will be sleeping for the most part. He started the engine and began to drive away. “Perhaps I should go by her house, to make sure that she’s allright.” He thought, changing the direction he was turning from the gate.

It was not too long, before he arrived at her house. Pulling the car into the driveway he could not see anything out off the ordinary. He walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. Wainting for a moment, no one came to answer. He rang it a few times more. No answer. Peeking throught the small window that looked into the living area, no one was in sight. Sean tried to phone her again. The phone went straight to voicemail. He did not even bother to leave a message.

“Where the hell are you Vicky?” he thought to himself as he made his way back towards his car and drove off to his house.

With the door slamming shut behind him, he found himself staring at the glass on the kitchen floor once more. Bulging a fist with this right hand he took the Vodka bottle by the neck and smashed it on the floor as he screamed in frustration. The remaining alchohol splattered on the the tiles as the glass pieces aggressively came to rest beside its brothers and sisters. He was frustrated. Frustrated and angry! He took another bottle, and another and another, the veins on his neck expanded as he could feel the blood pressure rising in his face. He broke them all, until the counter was empty and the floor completely covered in shattered glass. He was not sure and hesitated for a brief moment, but the anger was too much. He swept his arm across the counter to clear off the rest of the items, shooting the empty glasses across the kitchen, into the a cubbord door; closing his eyes as the sound of broken pieces falling to the floor confirmed this aggressive frustration within.

Standing with his hands on the counter, his head bowed in exhaustion, he felt a little better. It’s been far too long since he broke a few glasses. When the tension got too much, he turned to the shuttering sounds of glass on a hard surface. It was the best method of getting rid of the emotions. That and screaming off course. Carefully walking over to the broom cubbord in the washing area at the back of the kitchen he removed what he needed and went back to the dirty floor. Looking at the shattered glass on the floor, it was a perfect image of what he was feeling. He felt shattered. His heart was weary. His mind was racing. The fear came to greet him and the anxiety strangled the air from his lungs. “I cannot lose Kyle. I will not be able to continue without him.”

“Today is the day” Sean thought as he woke up in his large bed. “Another big shoot this morning.”

Rolling over on his bed his arm fell to the other side which was empty. It was the same everyday. Waking for work, but at least it’s something that he did for himself. Years of hard work on expanding the company had paid off. He felt content with the success from his labour. Long hours, hundreds of strange faces and late night meetings did have an impact. Then why did it feel as if there’s something missing from his life. Was it all there was, work, money, success and helping people to achieve their dreams? What was missing from this picture? Strecthing out on the bed, it became clear to him that it was empty. There was no one on the other end to greet him when he woke. No smile to brighten the light of a new day. No breathing to soothe his heart. It was empty.

His was so focussed on the company that he lost sight of what was more important. Someone to share it with. Strange, he was willing to support his mother and his sister so they could have a better life. He created opportunities for struggling young adults to achieve their goals. That was a big strategy off the company, to help people create a better future. Along the road, he just forgot to attend to his own future as well. Ignorantly ignoring the fact that he longed to share his life with a special person. For many years he did not want to acknowledge the fact that he was gay, shifting his focus away from himself towards others and the business. Michelle was the only one that new the truth, that she figured out on her own. It didn’t bother her at all, which was a refreshing surprise. But now, is he ready to face his own life? Did the time arrive to be more than just successful? Wasn’t it time to be happy? To be whole, to be complete?

What does all the success mean, if there is no one to share it with? Spening time alone with your thoughts, often hanging with friends was not enough anymore. He wanted more. He wanted a man. He ached to share his love. It was time; he was not getting any younger. He felt ready for the next phase. It was a moral and spiritual struggle that was battling in his mind for more that eleven years to where there was not resolution. People are cruel creatures that persecutes those whom they cannot understand. Forcing their opinions upon the world to create hatered. Breaking the already fragile psychy of the people around them to bits.

Fearing the reaction of people is only one problem, to thoses closest to you, it announces a cloud of shame and ridicule. Sean could not do that to those whom he loved. But was it worth living if you do not live a happy life? Is it worth drawing the mask every morning to pretend to be something that you are not? This internal war had him exhausted to the point where he gave up on the possibility to ever be happy. That was until, this year. Everthing started to change.

If there was one major thing that he learned the past four years, then it must be the fact that life is too short not to live a happy life. Too short not to lead a full life. It was just plain f*****g too short. No one is guaranteed to see tomorrow. This he had to learn the hard way after Jessica’s death. It was sudden and unexpected, as it always is, but this event ripped his whole life apart. It left him feeling broken and empty. It left him with only darkened anger. The recovery took a long time. Hours of thearapy and treatments did help to stabilize, but death never leaves your soul. Once you’ve been touched by it, all that remains is learning how to live with that pain. How to get up and carry on with your life and that is not an easy task to master. Those that haven’t experience it before, would never be able to grasp the severity thereof.

It was this realization that pushed him to face the truth. He wanted a man and he would love to get married one day; grow old together. A few years ago there was one woman that shared his bed, but in all fairness, she did have a piece of his heart too. It was never quite the same, though. The emotional bond was strong and it was wonderful to have a brief moment of love, a brief sense of belonging. But that did not last. It’s not what he wanted. It’s not what she really wanted; otherwise she would have never gotten married to another man. She made her choice. She took a chance to be happy. She was the first and the last. It was a unique experience. One that made him realise that having a woman in his life is not what he wanted, but on the other hand he was not ready to persue the alternate reality; that was then.

Getting out of bed he said to himself “today will be the day that this will change. No more.” He started his morning routine and went off to the office for the busy day that was standing in front of him.

There was a buzz hanging in the air at the office. Everybody was busy with their preparations, yet a calm was present in this craze. It made him feel proud. Proud to have a wonderful and competent team that loved what they did. No matter how chaotic things got, everyone was equipped to handle it. This is what the company prides itself on. Proficiency. Quality. Proffessionalism. Possibilities. Sean walked to Michelle’s office to say hello and they talked for a minute, before he made his way to his own office. There were a few things he needed to grab. There was not time to check his emails in the office and thought he’ll do it when he has time, at the photoshoot. Not finding Tommy, he told Megan to let him know that he is on going to the warehouse now. He’ll meet them there. She informed him that Tommy is busy loading the equipment and that they will be there shortly. He could not help to feel proud of his staff. To feel proud of this company and he made his way to his car.

Flashing lights, periodically caught his eye. Sean was standing aside as he kept an eye on the photoshoot. He had to be present, ensuring that everything goes according to plan. Attention to detail. He kept himself occupied with email correspondence, communicating with the office and a few clients in between. The sound of music slammed against the walls of this large studio, creating a joyfull atmosphere. He never did care for silence, so he made sure that music was always present. Afterall it was something everyone enjoyed while working. It’s as if the music lightened the mood, stirring most to walk with a kind of move in their step. Creating a joyful atmosphere was important to Sean. He loved watching all his staff enjoy themselves to the sound of a sick beat or two.

He was not aware that he was staring, but when he saw Kyle glancing in his direction between the scene changes, he quickly shifted his gaze. Sean was very impressed with Kyle’s work on that first shoot and offered him more projects to be a part off. It was not an easy choice to stay in town, as he lived in Knysna. The wedding he did in was an important friend of his family. He flew to Bloemfontein just for the wedding, but ended up staying for the past three weeks. That is one previllegde of being a freelance photographer, you can go where the work takes you, especially if the money is good too.

Sean could not help but wonder, what it was about this man that captured his attention. He was a wonderful artist, with a great work etchic and sound values, but there was something else. Was it his soft looks or his wonderful smile? Was it the fact that they could see eye to eye? There was something that tickled his curiosity. He needed to explore the possibility. He was caught staring again.

“Dammit” he thought to himself. “I must stop this now, it’ll freak him out.”

He decided to walk over to Kyle and talk about the shoot, complimenting him and making a few suggestions as to what he needed for the campaign. Kyle was happy to oblige.

Everbody was running around to pack everything away, after the shoot was done. Kyle was busy putting his equipment in their containers, when Sean came over to him.

“Wonderful shoot, thank you.” Sean said with a smile.

“No problem. It’s always a pleasure to capture a moment in time.” He replied.

“Seeing that we are ahead of schedule, would you like to go for lunch?” Sean finally got the courage to ask him.

“That sounds good.”

“Are you familiar with that little coffee shop on the corner around our office?” Sean enquired.

“Yes. I’ve been there. Their food is delicious.”

“Good, I’m going to the office to hand the paperwork to Michelle. Shall I meet you there in thirty minutes?” Sean said.

“Let’s make it so.” Kyle replied as he continued to pack up.

Kyle was sitting at the coffee shop when his phone rang. It was Sean calling. He apologized, something came up at the office. He cancelled lunch and said they talk later at the office. Kyle didn’t mind and ordered an iced tea, before heading back to the office. He still had to rework the images.

Sean rushed in and out off the office, most of the afternoon, trying to bring order to some kind of crisis. Kyle spent most of his afternoon in the small office next to the design department, busy reworking the images for tomorrow’s meeting. He did not notice the time, but it got quiet in the building. He was finished with the last few touches and packed up for the day. Walking past the office he noticed Sean sitting there, busy with something on the computer and walked over to him. There was a knock on the open door.

“You, still busy?” he asked Sean.

“Yeah. Looks like it will be a late night again.” He replied with a tired expression. “I’m really sorry for lunch.”

“Don’t worry about that.” Kyle said with a soft smile. “We’ll do it another time.” He said. “When it’s not this crazy. How about Saturday?”

Sean looked up from his desk “That could work” he replied with surprise.

Kyle stepped into his office “what about we make it dinner at a wonderful pizza place I’ve discovered?”

“What?” Sean replied, not sure how to respond to this invitation.

“I noticed the way you look at me today. I will confess, it’s one of the reasons why I chose to stay a while longer.” Kyle said with a confident, yet careful tone.

“Um… I..” Sean stammered with his words, feeling shy for being called out with what happened earlier. “Okay, that could work” he finally spoke.

“Well then. It’s a date” Kyle said with the delight evident on his face. “We can discuss the details tomorrow.”

“Good, good.” Sean responded.

“I’ll leave you to finish your work.” Kyle smiled as he moved towards the door. “I can’t wait…” as he disappeared

“Wonderul. Thanks.” Sean said.

He could not believe what just happened. For a moment he was destracted by Kyle’s remarks. He could feel the excitement stir in his stomach. His head was spinning, trying to unravel the events of this day. Searching for clarity. He could not help but smile. Everything worked out as he planned this morning. He wanted to see if there is a possibility with them. Now, even after work interrupted that plan, Kyle was still willing to see it through. Did Kyle have the same intentions this morning? Did he also want to see what could happen? Abscent-mindedly he forced his attention back to his work, still with that appreciative smile plastered on his face.

It did not take long to find the restaurant. He drove up and down to try and find a parking. The past two days went by in a flash. Sean found it difficult to focus on work. The excitement for this day was too much. It was an unusual feeling, to make it even worse, this was his first date. Never before did he go out on a date. This ritual was still one area of his life he han’t explored. Almost twenty nine years old and he was nervous like a little school girl receiving attention from her first crush. On the other hand the excitement created an almost perfect balance. Walking along the sidewalk in the dim light of the night, music was travveling down the busy avenue that lifted his spirits. Given that it’s Saturday night, all the little restaurants in this area was packed with bodies. Laughter trailed off in the darkness and excitement was thick in the air.

Arriving at the restaurant he noticed Kyle was already sitting at a table outside on the sidewalk. He looked at the time “what the hell is it with everyone being early?” he thought to himself. He always pride himself being on time, as long as his schedule allowed for it. The restaurant was crowed, a live band was performing which created the perfect feel for the evening. Walking over to Kyle, he noticed there was a party of sorts inside with a large group of loud men. It was apperant that the alcholol was flowing freely over their tables. He greeted Kyle with a happy smile and took a seat.

Looking over his shoulder at the loud laughter and drinking “it’s a bachelors party.” Kyle said. “I tought it better to sit out here.”

“Well I do not appreciate drunken crowds. So.. thank you.” Sean said.

“Me too. And those fellas are really wasted.” Nodding in their direction. “Do you want something to drink?”

“Yes. That would be nice.”

Turning around to search for the petite waitress that showed him to the table, he did not notice she was already on her way from another table on the other side.

“Good evening.” She said to them.

“Oh, I did not even see you.” Kyle said with surprise.

“Can I get you gentlemen something to drink?” She asked with a polite smile.

“Do you enjoy wine?” Sean looked over at Kyle.

“I am not familiar with wines. I do not drink often. What do you recommend?” He replied.

“Do you have Roberson Natural Sweet Red? Sean looked at the petite little girl.

“Yes, we do.”

“Wonderful. Please bring us a bottle.” Sean placed the order. “Oh and a bowl of ice with it. That’s all for now, thank you.” He noticed her pen quickly moving across the paper, before she rushed off towards the bar.

“I take it that the wine is good?”

“It really is. It’s not too heavy, with a low alchohol content. I promise that you’ll enjoy it. Especially with some ice.” Sean smiled at him.

“I will have to take your word for it.” Kyle looked him dead in the eyes.

Sean saw a glinstening in his eyes. Shadows of light danced over his face from the candle on the table that amplified a relaxing and intimate atmosphere. There’s nothing like candle light to create the perfect romantic setting. It’s something that he had always enjoyed. With the wine arriving, Kyle was pleasantly taken aback as he really did enjoy it. Deciding which pizza to order, on the other hand, proved to be a bit difficult. Too many options to choose from. Luckily both of them discovered that they shared the samed taste. At the end the winner was an exotic combination, one which they haven’t seen in traditional restaurants before.

Getting to know one another on a more personal level was exhillirating. Sean has noticed before that they were thinking in the same way. That was evident in the creative meetings. Their delightfull laughter was in unisin with the rest of the crowd surrounding them, making their secret date not suspicious to anyone.

A small group off guys made their way from having a smoke to their table. The smell of alchohol was heavily present. Sean could see the fear on Kyle’s face as the possibility for trouble was always a threat for two people like them sitting in a public space. The one guy started to ask questions.

“So what are you guys doing here?” he struggled to maintain his balance, decided to rather sit down on the corner of the table.

Kyle just took another sip of his wine. “I’m just visiting my brother.” Sean responded. He had a talent for defusing difficult situtions with some sort of story ready at hand.

“Really?” the man asked with disbelief. “So where are you from?” he pried.

“Cape Town.” He replied. Briefly looking over at Kyle, giving him a reassuring look. “I’m on vacation. Decided to visit the family I do not get to see much.”

The strange man lightened up a bit, but kept asking questions. This whole situation was frustrating Sean, as it meddled with his date. After a few minutes, which felt like hours, the man and his friends found their way back to the party inside. Kyle and Sean looked at each other and could not help to laugh at the entire scene that played out.

“Wow, you’re good. Thank you for handling the situation.” Kyle thanked him.

Sean was still laughing a bit “No problem. I’m used to handle crazy people. Besides, what we’re doing tonight is no one else’s business” He smiled.

“I agree. It’s just frightening as you never know what they’ll do.”

“I know. I hate the ignorance of people sometimes.”

“I’m with you on that one.” Kyle said. “I’m not comfortable with people knowing my business. At the moment it’s something I keep to myself.

“You do not have to explain it to me. I know that feeling all too well.” Sean reassured him.

Sean looked at him, the candle light framing his face perfectly. The light breeze blowing through his dull brown hair. He could not help it, but there was something that drew him to this unique figure across the table. A warmth filled his heart which made him feel comfortable in his prescence. He could see that there were hard times that lingered in those beautiful pale blue eyes. The heavy weight that life places on our shoulders. He could recognize it immediately, it was the same weight he saw in his own eyes every day. Kyle projected confidence in his work, even in his social skills. In spite of his observation; he still saw a child-like innocence within him. An innoscesce he didn’t want to corrupt. A purity that he did not want to spoil with unpleasentries. Sean felt an unexplicable need to share all his secrets with this man.

As the night draw to a close, they walked to their vehciles. Sean grew anxious again. Not knowing what the acceptable procedure is to end a first date. The scenes from many movies flashed in his mind, but this was different. This is not a ‘normal’ Hollywood scene. He was with a man. What was expected? What was appropriate? Sean was not sure what to do. With the final good-bye, he decided that a hug is always a safe bet. No one should perceive it to be suspicious. He thanked Kyle for a lovely evening and stepped closer, but he was abruptly interrupted.

“I do not want anyone to see us.” Kyle quickly tried to explain. “I’m not comfortable with public expressions.”

Sean’s heart froze. It was not his intention to create an uncomfortable situation and he apologized for his intent. They said their good-byes and Kyle drove off in the rented vechile. Walking towards his car, he kept thinking what an i***t move he just made. “There it was again. That f*****g feeling I hate so much.” He thought to himself. “i***t!”

By the time he arrived at home, he noticed a message from Kyle. “Sorry for shutting you down like that. I’m just not ready to be seen in public. It really was a wonderful evening, which I enjoyed entirely. If you are not too mad, I’d like to do it again.”

It soothed his emotions that the feeling was mutual. He did understand where Kyle was coming from. Hell, he’d been there himself. It’s only been seven months now since he came to terms with who he is. How could he expect the same level of confidance from a man who was two years younger, also struggling with that all too familiar deamons. The deamons that society created.

The time finally arrived where he could see Kyle. Standing in front of the door, he was waiting for Dr. Connors to give him the go ahead. He appeared and let him into the room.

Slowly walking to stand besides his bed, he could not keep the emotions in check any longer. He wanted to cry, yet again.

“Lovey?” he whispered.

Kyle turned his head. When he saw Sean standing there, he was happy. Sean could see the overpowering weakness in his body. Before he could say anything, Sean immediately said that he was sorry for the fight that they had. He burst into tears, not losing eye contact with Kyle.

He spoke with a scratchy voice. “Me too.” Looking at Sean with fear in his eyes. “Do you think he would go this far?” staring with great concern.

“I did not think about that!” Sean replied, shocked at this question. “If it was that fucker, I will kill him!” Sean said with a stern voice as he wiped a tear away, trying to contain a now growing anger.

“Honey, we do not know, so calm down for now.” Kyle offered some consolation. “Just be careful.”

“You just focus on getting better, my love. Leave this problem to me. I’ll find out what happened. Allright?” Reassuring Kyle that he is now calm.

“Okay, just don’t do anything stupid.” With concern in his eyes. “Promise me.”

“I promise” Sean responded, giving him a kiss on the forehead. “I must go now, they said only a few minutes and you need to regain your strength”

“Thanks for being here Sean, I appreciate it. No matter what, I still love you.” Kyle said as he teared up looking at Sean.

“I love you too, always and forever!”

Sean wanted to inform the police of what happened last night, but would they be able to resolve the issue. There were no witnesses, and that bastard is a skilled lawyer, he can spin any story to his advantage. “No, I will find out if it was him, or not. Then…. Then what? What could I do to him? Is there an option..? f**k! Everything feels too much.”