Do not read further if you are not of legal age. All the usual disclaimers and copyright laws apply. The medical conditions portrayed in this chapter and the previous one are not intended to be representative of actual conditions.
LOVE IS ALL THAT MATTERS ~ Chapter 21 ~
From the Narrative of Joshua Spencer:
"Harry, what happened?" I asked him for the third time. I was kneeling in front of him on the floor of the General Hospital's emergency department.
His only reply was to rock back and forth on the waiting room chair. Tears rolled silently down his cheeks.
His silence was what worried me the most. He hadn't responded to a single word I'd said since I saw him at the hospital. I couldn't understand what had gone wrong. Things had been wonderful this past week. Harry had been more cheerful than ever since he'd started work at that accounting firm. Marcia had seemed equally happy with her new life, baking for the cafe and looking after her three "boys", as she liked to call Harry, Reid and me. But now all of a sudden she'd been rushed to hospital and her son refused to tell me what was going on, or talk to me at all.
The door behind me opened and Phoebe came out. It had been her phone call that had brought me here, although she hadn't had any time to explain anything to me. I got up quickly.
"Is everything alright?" I asked her. Behind me I sensed Harry looking up from the floor. "It's just an anxiety attack, right?"
Phoebe shook her head slowly, sending a jolt of fear down my spine. "I'm afraid not. It was a myocardial infarction."
I stared at her in disbelief. "You mean - a heart attack?"
But Phoebe was looking away from me, at her brother. "How could you?" she asked him.
I looked from Phoebe to Harry. "What? Look, I don't know what's going on but there's no way Harry is to blame."
She didn't pay any attention to me. Instead she said to her brother, "Because of you, our mother is in there fighting for her life. You knew how much she loved you. You knew she wasn't up to exertions like this. How could you do that to our mother?"
Harry, without looking up, mumbled, "She's not my mother."
There was an eerie silence as Phoebe and I both stared at him. Then she raised her hand and slapped him across the face.
It all happened so quickly it took me a moment to process what was going on. Harry had just said Marcia wasn't his mother. And Phoebe had slapped him. The same Phoebe who'd warned me not so long ago that her brother was emotionally fragile. Coming to my senses, I quickly grabbed her hand to stop her from slapping him again.
"What did you do that for?" I questioned her angrily.
Harry just stood motionless; he didn't even touch his cheek on which the red imprint of Phoebe's hand could be clearly seen.
Phoebe directed her answer at Harry. "She loved you all the same. She was even fonder of you than she was of me." She said quietly, "Is this how you repay her?"
Harry looked like he was being torn apart by guilt and started sobbing louder. His whole body shook. "I'm sorry! I never meant to hurt her," he cried. I let go of Phoebe's hands and reached out to comfort him. Harry pushed past me and ran off down the corridor.
"Harry!" I called after him. He didn't stop. The nurse at the counter glared at me. I ignored her.
I wanted to go after Harry but I realized I didn't have a clue as to what was going on. I turned back to Phoebe. "What is going on here? Why did you slap Harry? I thought you loved your brother. And on top of that you're blaming him for Marcia's heart attack?"
Phoebe closed her eyes as if it pained her. "I can't believe I did that. I was just so upset seeing Mom like that. I don't really blame him ... I suppose it must have been a shock for him to learn of it like that."
"Learn of what?" I asked insistently, although I now had a good idea what was going on.
"That he's adopted."
I repeated slowly, "Harry is adopted? You mean, he isn't ..." My voice trailed off. Everything fell into place. I recalled how, after she'd learnt about the congressman's beatings of their son, Marcia had made Harry promise not to leave her for any reason.
Phoebe nodded sadly. "Harrison isn't my brother - not biologically. That's why Dad was never fond of him, but we never knew he hated Harrison so much that he would actually abuse him. And when Harry found out ... I don't know what he said to her. I couldn't get it out of him, he just lapsed into silence. But the stress was too much for Mom's heart - she could never handle the thought of separation from Harrison."
"But you knew all along?" I asked. I flashed back to a conversation between Marcia and Phoebe that I'd overheard without realizing its implication at the time.
. you know the truth as well as I do .
Now I knew that Marcia must have been referring to the secret of Harry's adoption. I asked Phoebe, "Did your parents tell you?"
She shook her head. "No, until a few years ago, I'd thought Harrison was my biological brother. It wasn't until I graduated from medical school that I learned the truth. While compiling Mom's medical profile, I discovered that she'd had a hysterectomy in '82. That would have made it impossible for her to have had Harrison the following year."
"Oh ..." I wasn't an expert in medical science but I knew what a hysterectomy was. "But you never told Harrison about it?"
"No, of course not. When I asked Mom about it, she begged me not to tell him. I wouldn't have dreamed of telling Harrison he was adopted. He would have been crushed." Then she looked horrified as realization fully dawned on her. "Oh God, and I went and slapped him -"
I suppose I couldn't blame her. She was a doctor and seeing patients fighting for their lives was probably common for her, but it was still probably a great shock when it was her own mother. "I can't believe I just did that to him, after everything that happened ... he would have been devastated. Josh, we have to find him. He can't be left alone, not in this state."
I tried to reassure her. "Phoebe, it's okay. You just stay here with your Mom. I'll find Harry and bring him back safely."
"Will you?" She grasped both my hands pleadingly. "When Mom wakes up, I just know she'll want to see Harrison. And I have to apologize for slapping him. It's just so crazy ..." She put her head in her hands.
I awkwardly put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll find Harry and I know Aunt Marcia will get better. Okay?"
She gave a watery smile. "You're turning out to be an even better boyfriend to my brother than I first imagined. Alright, go," she said in reply to my wordless request for permission to leave in search for Harry.
I nodded and hurried down the hospital corridor. I called back over my shoulder, "If Reid comes by, please tell him to wait here, okay?"
Phoebe nodded.
I went out through the sliding glass doors and looked around. Harry couldn't have gotten very far in the few minutes it had taken for me to seek clarification from Phoebe. But there was no sign of him out in the garden where I would have expected to see him.
No, I thought, Harry would have wanted someplace familiar to cry his heart out. Where ...? Then it hit me. Of course - there was one place he would go to at a time like this. I got into my car and drove.
By the time I reached the cliff, the sun was setting. But
the dying light was sufficient for me to make out Harry's
solitary figure sitting on the beach down below. I started
to make my way down the cliff path, dislodging a few
pebbles.
Harry looked up and saw me. "Don't come near me, Josh! Just
leave me alone."
I didn't listen to him and continued to make my way down the
path. "I'm not leaving you alone, Harry. I've told you before and I'll tell you again, I'll always be here for you.
You don't need to run away to be by yourself when you're
facing problems. We can get through them together."
He didn't reply, just continued buried his head between his
knees. It was heart-breaking to see him in so much pain.
"Harry?" I placed a hand on his shoulder.
He lashed out at me. "Don't call me that! It isn't my name.
How can I be Harrison Ridgeway the Fourth when I'm not
actually the son of Harrison Ridgeway the Third?"
I said softly, "You'll always be Harry to me - my Harry."
"You don't want me to be your anything," he cried. "You
should just go - leave me here."
I didn't intend to listen to him. I wrapped my arms around him and said, "Don't be stupid, Harry. Nothing's happened so
far that can't be fixed. Aunt Marcia is going to be fine,
you'll see."
"You don't understand, Josh. If it doesn't happen today, it will soon enough. Look at what happens to the people who get close to me. I've put my - the woman who cared for me like a mother - in the hospital. Now I know why Dad used to hit me.
He must've known the terrible things I'm capable of."
"No! Don't say that. You never deserved to be treated like
that. It's true that a lot of bad things have happened in your life, but it wasn't your fault. It's certainly not your
fault that Aunt Marcia suffered a heart attack."
"Even my sis-" He stopped himself and started again, "Even
Phoebe says that was my fault."
"She doesn't. She was upset and over-reacted and now she's
sorry. She's begging you to come back to the hospital so
that she can apologize to you in person. She says you have
to be there when your Mom wakes up."
"Mom wouldn't want to see me, not after all the hurtful
things I said."
"Come on, Harry. We both know that's not true. Aunt Marcia
asked you to promise her that you would never leave her, no
matter what. She was afraid that you would when the truth
came out."
"And that's just what I did. I threatened to do just that
and look what happened. I'm a terrible person. Because of me, Phoebe might not have a mother, or Alan his grandmother.
Why do I always screw things up, Josh?"
"Harry, look at me." He avoided my gaze. "Look at me," I
repeated, more insistently this time.
He looked up, reluctantly. I said firmly, "You are NOT a
terrible person. If you're looking for a fault in yourself, the only one that I can think of is that you feel things too
deeply. Because of what you've been through, because of the
way the congressman made you think everything bad was your
fault - but it's not. You can't stop some things from
happening."
"Josh, I couldn't have stopped it because I was the one who
caused Mom to have a heart attack. And nothing I can do now will change that. Oh God - sometimes I think how much better
it would be if I was dead. All of you would have perfect
lives without me in it -"
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Perfect lives? I spent the last four fucking years without you and let me tell you - it was far from perfect!"
He flinched at my raised voice.
I calmed myself down. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have shouted. But I just couldn't - you were being ridiculous. How could you think that my life was perfect when I didn't have the guy I'd been madly in love with since junior high?"
I saw him raise his head ever so slightly and blink. I was finally getting through to him.
I continued, "And what about your Mom? Why do you think she wanted to adopt you in the first place and spent the last 22 years trying to keep it a secret from you? Or Phoebe who's known about it for the last couple of years but not treated you any differently than when she thought you were her biological brother? All our lives may not be perfect now, and let's face it, just who does have a perfect life? But I can tell you, as sure as hell, they wouldn't perfect without you."
I waited for him to say something. He smiled wanly at me. "You're very good at this - talking me through my problems. But I'll never be able to do the same for you."
"Just having you with me makes everything else seem trivial, Harry," I told him.
"That's not something I actually do to help you," he said skeptically.
"Of course it is, whether you do it consciously or otherwise. Is it really so hard for you to believe that?"
He shook his head. "You're crazy, you know that? If I were in your shoes, I'd run like hell from a whacked-up case like myself. You know what they say about damaged goods -"
I didn't let him finish. "Have you been paying attention to a single thing I've said? I don't care about your past. It doesn't matter to me if you aren't really the son of a wealthy congressman. Hell, I prefer it this way. Harry, you have to face it - the guy's a homophobe who used to beat you."
His lower lip quivered. "You see? Even you admit I'm an idiot."
"No, I never said that. You gave in to him because you believed he was your father. I hate what he did to you, but I'm actually kind of impressed by how you handled it. I didn't understand at first - why you'd defend someone who was such monster to you. But now I realize it shows just how great your capacity for love and affection was. You loved both your parents unconditionally; even the father who you had to realize didn't care for you. That's why I know, you didn't mean whatever you said to Aunt Marcia."
Tears rolled down his cheeks. "Why did I do it? I should've seen - the moment she walked through that door. She didn't look herself. But I was too busy wallowing in self-pity. I didn't hate her - I could never. It was me that I hated. What happened wasn't Mom's fault; she didn't know what was going on. I was the one who could've stopped it, but I didn't. I was too weak."
"No, on the contrary, you're one of the strongest people I've met. You've been through so much, but you've still managed to remain the same Harry I fell in love with. Now come on, I'll take you back to the hospital."
"Is she awake yet?" he asked.
I shook my head. "Not when I left. I'm sure they'll call if she does."
He snuggled closer to me. "Then can we stay here a bit longer; just for a couple of minutes? It's just so ... peaceful here - so removed from the craziness of the world."
"Okay," I whispered. He laid his head against my shoulder and closed his eyes. I felt breathing quietly next to me - virtually the only sound other than the waves. Harry was right; it was very restful on the beach. The sun had by now sunk completely below the horizon.
After a few moments, Harry opened his eyes. I was, as always, struck by how brilliantly blue they were. "Okay, let's go now." He started to get up, brushing sand off his pants. He stopped halfway, and said at me, "Josh?"
"Yes?"
He looked soulfully at me. "I just want you to know, I'm glad to have you. I wouldn't have been able to survive this otherwise."
I smiled and bent down to kiss his forehead. "Oh, you'd survive alright. You just might not have looked as cute doing it," I joked. I was relieved to see him grin for the first time that evening. We walked up the cliff path together.
From the Narrative of Harrison Ridgeway IV:
The white-tiled corridors of the General Hospital seemed cold and unforgiving after the still-warm sand on our little beach. I gripped Josh's hand tighter as we approached the Emergency ward. I saw Reid pacing up and down the corridor. He looked up as we approached.
"How is she?" Josh asked him.
He replied, "Not conscious yet. Phoebe is inside, talking with the doctor." He looked at me in concern. "How're you doing? I - I heard what happened. Your sister told me."
"I'll be okay," I told him. "I just want to know that Mom's better."
Reid put a friendly arm around my shoulder. "Listen, Harrison - I just wanted to say, if you or your Mom ever need anything, you can always ask me. I'd be glad to help. You know that, right?" He looked at me sincerely.
I smiled gratefully at him. "Yeah, I know. Thanks." We all sat down in the waiting room.
After a short while, the door opened and Phoebe came out. She ran up to hug me. I automatically took a step back to avoid her embrace. She looked ashamed.
"Harrison, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I didn't mean to -"
I realized I was being stupid. I couldn't blame her for reacting that way; after all I'd felt the same way myself. I stepped forward and returned her embrace. "It's okay," I told her. "I'm sorry, too."
"You don't have to apologize. I was a heartless bitch to blame it on you." She looked at me with tears in her eyes. "You'll always be my little brother - I've never thought otherwise."
I hugged her more tightly. "I love you too, sis."
We broke apart and she wiped her eyes. "Mom's out of danger; she's awake and wants to see you." She moved towards the door. When she realized I wasn't following, she turned back. "Well? Aren't you coming?"
She spotted my hand still firmly grasping Josh's. "You can come in as well, Josh. Two visitors allowed per patient. I don't count since I'm a doctor here." She looked apologetically at Reid. "I'm sorry, you'll have to wait -"
Reid shrugged. "No, it's okay. I'm just glad to hear Marcia's fine. Don't hurry on my account. I'll just get something from the vending machine; I think I saw one near the reception."
"Right. Harry, come on." Josh took my hand and led me into the emergency ward.
I know I should have been prepared for it, but it was still difficult to see Mom in a hospital bed, looking pale and haggard, feeling that I had in some way caused it. But Mom smiled to see me.
"Harrison." It was only one word but I immediately felt my remorse wash over me.
Everything I wanted to say came out in a torrent of words. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. Please say you forgive me. I never meant any of those things I said. I couldn't imagine anyone else as my Mom ..."
Mom laid one hand on my arm to stop me. "Harrison, I knew you'd blame yourself but it's not your fault. I'd been having chest pains earlier in the evening. I didn't pay any attention to it, but it got worse when Alistair came by the house."
I stared at her. "What?" I said weakly.
Mom shook her head. "It doesn't matter now. Doctor Mayer says I should make a full recovery."
"But -" I was at a loss for words. Suddenly the burden of guilt seemed to lighten.
"Harrison, I don't want you thinking that it was your fault."
"That's exactly what he was beating himself up over," Josh said. "Next he'll be thinking global warming is his fault, too."
Mom smiled wryly. "That would be just like Harrison. I can't really blame anyone, not even Alistair." She looked at me cautiously. "Harrison, what you found out today - I never meant for you to know. We were supposed to tell you, when you were older. But I couldn't bring myself to. If I'd know how you'd let Alistair treat you, I would never have kept it from you." She stopped for breath.
"Mom, if you're not up to it -" Phoebe began.
"No, let me finish. It was selfishness that kept me from telling you the truth. I wanted to be always able to regard you as my son. I was afraid I would lose you if you knew. I've heard of so many cases where adopted children, who are wonderfully affectionate to their foster parents, start to drift apart from them when they find out the truth. I didn't want that to happen with us. When I first set eyes on you, I felt like you were asking me to adopt you. I know it was a ridiculous thought - it's not like a newborn baby would actually want to be separated from his birth mother." She paused. "I suppose you want to know about her?"
"No." I said it so forcefully that everyone in the room looked at me. I said, more quietly this time, "Maybe some day, but not now. Now all I want to know is that the only mother I've known is going to be okay." I let go of Josh's hand and held Mom's instead. "You'll always be my Mom, no matter what. You're the only mother I've ever known. And I don't care what Dad did, but you were the best parent anyone could ever have."
Mom smiled as she blinked back tears. "I don't think I was but people always say the proof of good parenting is the children you raise. You were all wonderful children and the most precious gifts I could ever have." Phoebe leaned her head next to Mom's. There were tears in her eyes and I realized my own eyes were wet.
Mom smiled at Josh, who was standing nearby and looking awkward. "You shouldn't feel left out, Josh. When I said wonderful children, I meant you as well." Josh looked grateful. "I know how much you love my son, and he loves you. It would be thoughtless of me if I didn't consider you as one of my kids." I saw Josh's eyes fill with tears.
Mom continued, "And Reid, too. He is really such a polite and charming boy, despite his own sorrows. Which reminds me, where is he?"
I began to explain, "They wouldn't allow more than two-"
It was at that moment Reid suddenly burst into the room. We all turned to stare at him.
"Um, I'm sorry but ... Phoebe, Harrison, I think your father's on his way here. I overheard a man asking the receptionist which room his wife Marcia was in."
I felt a chill go down my spine. I should have known better than to expect this happy moment to last. And it did not come as a surprise that Dad would be the one to ruin it.
Mom was the first to speak. "I can't see him. Phoebe, please send him away."
A worried look passed over Phoebe's face. I didn't blame her. She might be Dad's golden child, but that didn't mean he listened to her. It was one of the reasons I'd never told her about the abuse.
Then Josh surprised me by announcing he'd accompany Phoebe.
"Josh ..." I said warningly. I knew how he felt and was afraid he might get physical.
Josh smiled reassuringly at me. "Don't worry. I'm not going to punch him in the face, even if I feel he deserves it. Trust me, okay?"
I nodded reluctantly, just as a nurse walked in. "Congressman Ridgeway is waiting outside to see his wife, but I'm afraid I can only allow two visitors at a time." She seemed to suddenly realize that there was more than that number in the room. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask some of you to -"
Josh interrupted, "I was just leaving. Come on, Phoebe." He gave me another brief smile and left with Phoebe; the nurse followed them out.
There was an uncomfortable silence. I was wondering how Phoebe and Josh were getting on with Dad. Reid brought me back to earth when he asked Mom how she was feeling.
"I think I'll live," Mom replied, smiling. Reid still looked anxious. "The doctor said I'd make a full recovery, with lots of rest."
Reid's solemn face broke into a grin. "That's great. Because it would've been awful if you weren't -" He stopped and swallowed hard.
"Reid," Mom said his name gently. "Joshua told us ... what happened before, with your Mom."
Reid looked down at the floor.
"Take it from me, Reid. There is nothing a mother would want more than for her child to be happy. I may have never met your Mom, but I'm sure if she was alive today, she wouldn't want you to be miserable, thinking her death was your fault. After seeing Harrison blame himself for what happened tonight, I know what you must have gone through. But you mustn't think it was your fault, despite what your father might have said. Your mother was short of time - otherwise she would have told you that she accepted the fact that you were gay and that she was happy for you."
Reid's voice cracked as he said, "You're just saying that. You - you can't know for sure."
"There are some things that a mother knows. I've only known you for less than a week, but I've seen your concern for two people who've just come into your life. I know it because I've often seen it in Harrison too - you're both very alike, except you try to hide it under the devil-may-care attitude. So I can definitely tell you, as Harrison's mother, that your mother would have loved you no matter what and that in no way did you cause her death."
Reid stared at her for a second, and then, to my absolute amazement, he broke down crying. It was Reid's most powerful display of emotion that I would ever see. And I'd been so full of self-pity earlier, but now my heart went out to him. I knew all too well now how he must have felt. But my mom had survived to dispel any negative notions I'd had. Reid had lived with them for seven years.
Between sobs he managed to say, "I was so scared ... that everything would repeat itself ... and Harrison would lose his mother and - and -" He paused and added, so softly I barely heard him, "I would too."
While Reid was busy wiping his eyes, I saw Mom glance at me. I knew what she was asking, and I nodded. The guilt I'd felt earlier had been so painful; I never wanted anyone to go through that. I remembered what Reid had told me outside the Emergency ward. He'd been awesome enough to look out for me after I'd practically stolen his boyfriend away from him. It was the least I could do to share my Mom with him.
Mom held her arms wide open and Reid looked at me questioningly. I smiled my approval. That was enough for Reid who fervently hugged her back. Then they broke apart and Reid said to me, "Thanks, Harrison."
"No problem. I've had Mom all to myself for the last 22 years and in light of the truth, I probably shouldn't have. So I don't mind sharing her with you, Reid."
Mom smiled at me, her way of saying that she was proud of me. But in truth, I was more impressed by how Mom had helped Reid to confront his demons. It was why I would always love her, even if she wasn't my real mom.
From the Narrative of Reid Scott:
I was still wiping the tears from my eyes when Josh and Phoebe returned, both of them looking exultant.
"Is he ...?" asked Harrison, looking fearful, as if he expected the congressman to barge in from behind them.
Josh replied with a smile, "Don't worry, he left."
"Without insisting on seeing Mom?" asked Harrison, sounding incredulous.
"I don't think he'll be bothering either of you again, Aunt Marcia. You should get that divorce without any more trouble."
Marcia and Harrison both stared at him. I had to agree with them; how had Josh managed to work such a miracle in so little time?
Harrison asked, "What did you say to him?"
Josh just grinned. Phoebe said, "Harrison, I have to say, your boyfriend would've made an excellent negotiator."
Harrison looked puzzled. "But ... what did you-"
Josh cut him off. "Harrison, you said you'd trust me, right?"
Harrison nodded, although a little reluctantly.
"Okay, so just trust me on this - the congressman won't bother you again. But as for what we talked about - don't worry your pretty little head about it, okay?"
He turned to me and said, "Reid, I'm afraid we'll have to wait outside before the nurse starts up again. Aunt Marcia, we'll see you again later, alright?"
Josh and I were back in the waiting room. The nurse at the reception desk smiled shyly at me, which didn't go unnoticed by Josh.
"So ... I saw the look that nurse gave you. I'm guessing you used your trademark smile to charm your ward into Marcia's room earlier, huh? Well, she's going to be in for a disappointment when she finds out you're gay. "
I shrugged. Then I asked him the same question Harrison had. "So what exactly did you say to the congressman?
Josh looked at me with his intense grey eyes. "Well, I'll tell you, but Harry must never know about it, okay?" I nodded.
Josh took a deep breath and said, "I basically told him, if he didn't back off, I'd tell the world what a hypocrite he really was - how he used to beat his adopted son, and that he actually didn't support the gay community."
"You actually said all that to a Congressman?" I asked in disbelief. "But you weren't really going to-"
"Of course not. I know what that would do to Harry. But the congressman doesn't know that. He thinks gays are as heartless as he is. He even said I was only sheltering Marcia because I expected something from her hefty divorce settlement."
"What?" I was shocked. "But you've never been the least bit concerned about money!"
"Yeah, well, you have to admit, both you and Harry are the sons of very wealthy men and also been my boyfriends. The congressman is firmly convinced I'm Harry's boyfriend only so that I can get a stake of the Ridgeway fortune."
I shook my head in disbelief at the congressman's attitude. I knew how much Josh loved Harrison. It wouldn't have made a difference to him if Harrison was penniless. "So what did he say?"
"Well, it really all boils down to which he valued more - a chance to get back his wife and family, or his political ambitions. At least now we know, for once and for all, where the chips lie. I think even Phoebe was disgusted by his self- serving ways. She really tried to give him the benefit of the doubt, but -"
I felt angry. Both Harrison and Marcia had deserved better than Alistair Ridgeway. At least now they would be free of him. "What about Phoebe?"
"Ah ... it's going to be a little harder for her. He is her biological father, her son's grandfather. But hey, she's Marcia's daughter too, right? I'm sure she'll figure something out." He looked sideways at me. "You were scared back there, weren't you?"
"How'd you -"
"Reid, I've lived with you for a year now. Even if you don't show it, I can tell you were distraught. She reminded you of your own Mom, didn't she?"
"More than that," I said, firmly.
Josh glanced at me. I explained what had happened while he'd been outside. "She told me the one thing I've wanted to hear for a long time."
Josh grinned and hooked an arm around my shoulder. "See, I told you it'll get better. And I always keep my word."
"Well, except for the part where I'm still without a boyfriend."
"Don't worry, I'm sure Harrison's working on that."
I pretended to groan. "I thought I told you to keep your boyfriend under control. He has less talent at matchmaking than Alicia Silverstone did."
Josh grinned. "Hey! Remember that's my boyfriend you're talking about. If we weren't in a hospital, you'd be begging for mercy for that. Consider yourself lucky."
My retort got caught in my throat. I realized how fitting his last sentence was. I replied softly, "Yeah, I am. All three of us are." I could see that Josh understood.
To be continued ...
Please email me your thoughts about this chapter, and previous ones, at justinr_88@yahoo.com. The next chapter to follow soon.