Chapter 14 

 

Upon opening his eyes mid Tuesday morning, Eric was sprawled across the bed. Even after hours of incredible sex, followed by very little sleep, he still looked unjustly hot and desirable. His smooth, brown skin, his rolling muscles and his incredible physique looked amazing, as it curved over a crisp white sheet beneath him. The top sheet, which had been unconsciously flung away from his body, lay with a careless appearance, snaked and draped partially over his left shin, thigh and hip. This picture revealed everything a voyeur could possibly desire but it also made him look like a bed sheet model on the cover of a magazine.

 

Eric was more than pleased that due to his vacation he was not required to go to work. He was not a teenager anymore and though he was still young at only twenty-six, Eric loved his sleep and the less than usual amount of hours were not enough, as far as he was concerned. He had arrived home and showered just before four in the morning but when he slid between the sheets beside Michelle, he was still too wired from everything he had learned and what had finally happened with Nick. Subsequently, almost two hours ticked by before he drifted off.

 

Unfortunately, Eric was not one to go back to sleep after he had awoken and so he knew he was about to get out of bed, regardless of how tired he felt. He stretched his entire body before reaching down and stroking his morning erection.

 

“Hey buddy boy, hell of a night,” he said with an extremely satisfied smile, which was engendered by delicious memories of sex with Nick.

 

He suddenly thought of Michelle and he wondered where she was. Conscious of how late in the morning it was and knowing she would have risen between six-thirty and seven, he turned his head toward the bedroom door, focused and listened. The house was silent and he assumed she must have gone out. He lifted his body from the king size bed and walked into the en suite bathroom to use the toilet. Soon after slipping into his usual designer briefs, Eric was in the kitchen and was pleased to see that Michelle had left a full pot of coffee brewing for him.

 

Briefly as he sipped on his coffee, he stared out through the sliding glass doors, which led onto the deck that preceded the backyard. The sun was shining again, the warmth in the air obvious and he could not believe the luck he had been served during his vacation so far. It had not rained once and blue skies had greeted him everyday. He hoped the weather would continue in the same vein but he did not want to jinx his fortune by thinking about it and so changing his focus, he walked out into the sun and lay down to add to his tan.

 

It was predictable that Eric’s thoughts would turn to Nick after the previous night. It was unavoidable from the moment he visualized Nick’s exceptional body naked but also, from the moment he recalled the feelings that had grown over the many hours he spent with Nick. They were not just sexual feelings or even feelings for a new friend, they were feelings of love, which were feelings he had never experienced toward any other man. In an attempt to dismiss that thought, following, Eric recalled the sex. It was both wild yet tender when Nick finally let go of his inhibitions. Eric had been right and Nick’s instincts took over, revealing a sexual powerhouse as well as a loving and emotional man. Nick’s natural inclination was to make love, as opposed to just fucking a body in bed. Even so, when Nick made love he was still a tempest of passionate desire and action. For an inexperienced man, Eric thought Nick was incredible in bed.

 

After their first of several sessions, as he lay quietly beside Nick in contemplation, Eric’s thoughts altered and his mood changed to a more introspective mode. Eric was not used to being treated by a man the way Nick treated him. He had been consumed by the physical power and the emotional intensity, which had driven him wild. However, Eric suddenly realized the effect this man had on his heart and just how deeply he was getting under his skin.

 

His increased feelings for Nick had come like an unexpected slap in the face. They were feelings he had only experienced with a woman. Throughout the night he had come to realize how much he cared about Nick. At first it was hungry lust for an acquaintance, then it was deep consideration and care for a new friend but when they finally crossed the line to naked vulnerability and sexual honesty, it sent him to a place he was completely unprepared for.

 

Eric discovered he did not just care about Nick. As time ticked by the intensity between them only grew and before he knew what had happened, he actually cared more than he thought or felt he should. What happened during that night had turned him upside down and pulled him inside out. For four years he lusted for Nick and though his lust remained beyond reproach, even after the deed was done, eleven hours alone with the man had changed everything.

 

Somehow Nick had gone from being a fantasy to the most important man in his life. Eric felt a sense of connection, as if destiny had brought them together. In bed while looking into Nick’s eyes, Eric felt like he was drowning, a river capable of pulling him under and away from his life. Nick had become his friend and so important to him, however, following this final line being crossed, he knew he was falling in love.

 

Eric could barely grasp it was possible but he knew his feelings for Nick had moved well beyond friendship. Every step from his arrival at Nick’s home until he walked out and got back into his Corvette, had been evolutionary in nature. He may have been bisexual but he was in love with Michelle and every other man was never anything more than sex. With Nick however, it was different.

 

Returning from his memories to the present, Eric rubbed his hands over his face and covered his eyes. He sighed as he accepted he could not deny his heart. He had never believed this could happen. Sex with guys was meant to be raw and rustic in its heated simplicity. It had always been that way and no man had ever touched his heart like Michelle did.

 

Before he had fallen asleep that morning, he tried to analyze a way out of what he now believed. He tried to tell himself he just felt sorry for Nick or he was just putting Nick on a pedestal. Even though he knew those things could be true, still he knew he would do anything for Nick and that he truly loved him. He also suddenly detested the thought of another man in Nick’s arms.

 

Staring across the backyard, Eric made an immediate decision. He knew his life with Michelle and his love for her was true and deep. He also knew he would never allow anything to come between them. He could not deny he loved Nick and he had no doubt it was going to be difficult but he knew friendship was all he could allow. Additionally, he chose for the first time ever, to keep a secret from Michelle. He knew she may well be the most open-minded person he had ever met but he also knew this knowledge was too much for her to have to carry.

 

He thought, “Why did this have to happen?”

 

He knew it was going to be difficult but he knew he had to bury the truth and direct his love for Nick into friendship. Being friends with Nick would not be hard but being silent about his true feelings, would probably be hell.

 

“Damn it,” he said softly.

 

Eric tried to push his mind elsewhere but though he succeeded in a new train of thought, it was still related to Nick. It was in regard to Nick’s story but it was in fact, a singular piece of it, which subdued Eric’s thoughts from the heat of his loins and the ache in his heart while setting his mind on another path.

 

It was still difficult to fathom everything he had learned about Nick’s life but he was pleased he knew him better and understood him in ways he never could before. Though all of the mystery surrounding Nick was now gone and he assumed that sex with Nick would be unlikely to ever occur again, Eric was confronted by a realization that he cared about Nick’s circumstances and it was not out of pity. Nick had given himself to him in so many ways and now Eric wanted Nick in his life for other reasons. He smiled as he thought he still wished Nick would rape his ass on a regular basis, however, a sense of satisfaction also filled him from the knowledge he had learned about Nick; a man who was a wonderful friend he loved.

 

It was as Eric drank his coffee and stared across at his favorite tree, his mind swiftly ran through the events and details of the story Nick had revealed. At a certain point, as it had the night before, another consideration stilled the progression of Eric’s thoughts. Though he had not mentioned to Nick what had crossed his mind, it still seemed there might be a chance all the details were not known and therefore, things may not have been quite as simple as they seemed to be. “Everyone deserves a second chance,” he said in a susurrant tone.

 

It was midday when Michelle arrived home. She stood looking out onto the deck at her husband without his knowledge. She had been staring at him admiringly but all too soon, knowing him as well as she did, Michelle realized he had something on his mind. She knew that distant gaze all too well and it always represented a man who was questioning himself or more specifically, questioning his actions. Michelle knew she was about to have a very long conversation. She only hoped things would not be too bad and that Eric was simply overanalyzing or over thinking something, whatever it was. She went and made two coffees and then slid open the glass door.

 

“Hi gorgeous,” she said as she stepped onto the deck.

 

Eric asked, “Hey baby. Where have you been?”

 

“As usual, Eric, you are about as aware as a piece of glass when a rock is hurtling toward it.”

 

Eric looked at her and grinned before he said, “What did I miss this time?”

 

“The fact that your wife of three years has two inches less hair all over her head than she did yesterday,” Michelle replied.

 

“Shit, Chelle, it looks fantastic. I’m really sorry,” he said.

 

For a moment Eric’s eyes once again became distant and thoughtful but then he blinked in realization and returned his focus to Michelle. She saw his distinctive adjustment and it only added to her certainty that he was truly distracted. A very long wisp of breath expelled airily from Michelle’s mouth, indicating not frustration or irritation but concern. She handed Eric his coffee and then sat on the sun bed beside his.

 

Michelle looked around the garden, admiring the plants and flowers and also how the yard looked so neat, tidy and well groomed. It always displayed a manicured appearance but currently it was sharper as a consequence of Eric being at home instead of work. It was not unusual for Michelle to admire her home and garden but in truth at that moment, she was deceptively concentrating elsewhere while she waited for Eric to initiate a conversation. Unfortunately, Eric said nothing and continued staring, as if into a blank void. His mind was definitely elsewhere.

 

Michelle began after several minutes of distinct silence, “Sweetheart?”

 

Eric answered as he turned and looked at her, hoping he had not missed something else, “Yeah babe?”

 

“Whatever it is, I think it’s time for you to share,” she said simply.

 

Eric’s face changed automatically and he smiled a small smile. He shook his head at how easily Michelle could read him. He had no problem with it, in fact, he loved how well she knew him and he also thought it made their ability to communicate so much easier. Additionally, Eric was planning on telling her because he told her everything, no matter what and always unedited. Briefly he thought of his decision to keep a secret but he knew it was the right thing to do. That one truth was to remain hidden forever.

 

“Damn girl, not only are you the sexiest woman alive and not only are you the most wonderful woman as well but I don’t even have to speak and you know something is going on. You do know I wouldn’t be able to live without you – don’t you?”

 

Michelle looked back and her eyes were satisfied. Eric was serious and she knew it. She was not at all surprised by the way he began. This was obviously important to him and it was bothering him. Whenever he complimented her like that for no real reason, it meant that he needed her opinion on something he had done or something he was going to do. He put so much stock in her opinion and it made her feel all the more loved and needed.

 

Michelle asked, “How can I help you?”

 

Eric began instantly, with barely a thought of where or how to begin and Michelle knew she had been right. It was indeed going to be a long conversation but first it was going to be a long story. Eric proceeded to tell Michelle everything that Nick had told him. He explained about the situation with Nick and Jack and how they still had not purchased a solution specifically, except that Nick was thinking about approaching the team directly. Eric did not stop to give Michelle time to question or offer an opinion because he instantly moved on to the story, which had almost broken his heart.

 

They sat, Eric talked and Michelle listened, with only the odd pause for a toilet break or a drink. They entered the kitchen at two o’clock for a late lunch but as Michelle got it ready, Eric sat at the table and continued the story. He continued throughout lunch and also afterwards, as they stood washing and drying the dishes.

 

Despite all the confusion and ego interrupting thoughts, as well as whatever had obstructed understanding between him and Nick the previous night; everything had come together in Eric’s mind, as he detailed the story to Michelle, as if it had been his own. When they returned to the deck and Eric continued, he became emotional when he talked about the photo of Nick’s mother, the loss of Dan and Julia and the fact that a little boy had been inflicted with such extraordinary circumstances to deal with. Eric did of course tell the story in his way and with his own added opinions and words; something, which gave rise to volatile emotions and verbal obscenities, as he spoke about Nick’s grandfather.

 

When Eric finally reached the conclusion of Nick’s story, Michelle stood up from her sun bed and offered him her hand. He looked at her curiously before she asked him to walk with her in the garden. He took her hand and they descended the back stairs into the yard. There was silence for a while as they ambled around the boundary, looking at their garden in its warm weather majesty. Winter may have been coming to an end but the garden was in bloom far too early. The strange nature of the weather had every plant looking like it was several weeks into spring.

 

Trees with bright red and deep pink flowers, shrubs with orange and purple blooms, an entire corner devoted to Jasmine and its subtle yet pretty, little trumpets, which would open as the sun set and fill the air with the most evocative and overwhelming scent. The garden had no cultural, seasonal or botanical design. It was simply planted with personal favorites and regardless of the opinions of others; Michelle and Eric loved it.

 

At the very centre of the yard and one of the reasons Eric had chosen the property to build upon; a Jacaranda tree that was easily twenty to thirty years old, stood on guard, it’s branches like great arms outstretched in a welcoming fashion. Its lavender blossoms covering it like some sort of patchwork quilt and enhancing the light green, new foliage. This was Eric’s favorite tree and beneath it within its shadow, which was speckled and struck by rays of sunlight, an old-fashioned, decoratively carved park bench was situated. Michelle led him to the bench and they sat leaning together, her head on his massive shoulder.

 

“It’s time, Eric. There is so much that I want to say and so many questions I want to ask but I know we’ve reached the point regarding what is bothering you. As always, just tell me and let me see if I can help you,” she said gently.

 

Michelle’s words and her tone of voice were easing to Eric. He knew she was not going to be happy or agreeable, at least at first, he thought, hopefully. Even so, he knew she would give him the perspective he needed and with luck, also help him with the final solution that was bothering him. His eyes glanced down at his wife’s face, her green eyes gazing outward, as if into the fabric of time. He smiled, took a small breath and began.

 

“Something stuck in my craw about that story, Chelle. I know that it’s none of my business but it bothered me last night and it bothered me this morning. I couldn’t help myself and I had to discover the truth. As you now realize also, Nick has in effect, one family member and two people he considers important, although I don’t know who the other person is. Apart from us, there is no one else of substance in his entire life. To me, it just isn’t right. Not for a man as decent and kind and genuine as Nick.”

 

Michelle questioned softly but with obvious concern in her voice, “Eric, sweetheart, what have you done?”

 

“I called Mac,” Eric replied reluctantly.

 

She asked, now mystified but still concerned, “Mac Fleet, the private investigator? Why?”

 

“Nick’s father,” he said conclusively, as if it answered everything.

 

Michelle queried, “What about Nick’s father?”

 

“Everyone deserves a second chance, Michelle.”

 

“Oh Eric. Don’t you understand that locating him and bringing him into Nick’s life, could bring about not only anger or heartache but also resentment of the most acidic nature?”

 

“I do Chelle but I also know that if all the information is not available, then any chance of the way things could be or should be, are lost before they’re found.”

 

“Eric, sweetheart, I think you should stop all of this before it really gets started or at least you should discuss it with Nick. You’ve told me you now consider him a real friend and a valuable friend, someone you hope to keep in your life. If you don’t want to lose him, I would suggest you put all of this out of your mind and let life unfold naturally.”

 

“It’s too late, Chelle,” he said.

 

Michelle asked, “What? What exactly are you saying?”

 

“I couldn’t believe it but less than an hour after I gave Mac Nick’s father’s name, he called me back and he had already located him and had a phone number. I don’t know how he did it so fast but I’ve already spoken to Nick’s father,” Eric explained.

 

“Oh, Eric, no,” Michelle said.

 

“Yes and I was right,” Eric replied.

 

Michelle asked but still thinking her husband had made a huge mistake, “About what?”

 

“The assumption was that Tim Ryan was just using Helen Rawlins but that wasn’t the case, not exactly,” Eric said.

 

Michelle inquired with frustration, “What in hell does not exactly mean?”

 

“Tim said to me that he did offer to stay in Dorchester with Helen and that he had full intentions of marrying her. However, when he went home and told his father he was staying and he was going to marry Helen, both his parents tore strips off him. They told him he was being impetuous and emotional and reacting like an impulsive child. His father then said he was not going to stand by and let him throw his life away on some foolish and unreasoned whim. He told Tim that like it or not, he was going to California with them and he was never to see or contact Helen again.

 

“Tim told me he may have been twenty but he lived under a very strict rule of his father. He said his father warned him in no uncertain terms that if he disobeyed him, he would be cut off financially, thrown out and he would never see his family again. Horrified by the thought of losing his family and particularly his baby sister, Tim towed the line and did as he was told.”

 

Michelle said with a tone of utter indignation, “God, what is it with some parents and the belief they have the right to dictate the paths of their children after they have already grown up. Who the fuck do they think they are?”

 

“I know, Chelle, I know. It’s really fucked-up if you ask me,” Eric agreed.

 

“I’m glad neither you nor I had to go through that sort of shit, though I suspect both of us would have told our parents to insert their opinions where they made some sense,” she said completely affronted and Eric laughed at her incensed remark. “However, Eric, you still haven’t answered my question. What did you mean by not exactly?”

 

“Michelle, Nick is so much like his father it isn’t funny. Admittedly I only spoke to the man for just under an hour and I also don’t really know him from a bar of soap but Nick sounds like him and he has the same openness when he speaks in a serious manner. Tim told me there had been one thing of a personal nature, which had an influence on him but he had dismissed it or more specifically, attempted to ignore it. He said the choice to stay and marry Helen did have something to do with it. Michelle, Nick’s father is gay.”

 

Michelle asked with an astonished tone of voice, “Are you serious?”

 

“Absolutely. He’s out and proud and he didn’t hesitate when he told me because he doesn’t carry any insecurity or baggage where his sexuality is concerned. He’s been gay for a long time and he’s a mature man who knows who he is. He told me that back then his feelings had been heavily subdued and deeply closeted. It was the year after he moved to California that during an incongruous, internal argument between his façade and his truth, all while a friend seduced him; his true nature was dragged kicking and screaming into the light of day. He’s been gay ever since and is currently in a relationship with another man,” Eric explained.

 

Michelle asked in disbelief, “How on earth did you get a complete stranger to reveal all of these personal details to you?”

 

“I rang the number, he answered and after confirming he was Tim Ryan from Dorchester in Boston, I asked him if he remembered Helen Rawlins. His whole tone became distressed or perhaps saddened and his voice became soft, quiet and almost a whisper. He told me he remembered her very well and that nothing could ever make him forget her. There was a brief pause, almost like is done in silent memorial and then he suddenly asked me what this was all about?

 

“I took a deep breath and as I thought of Nick, I then asked Tim if he would please indulge me because there was something I needed to tell him regarding Helen but that I needed to confirm something first. It was the same strategy I used on Nick in regard to Jack. Irrespective, I then asked him directly if he had been intimate with Helen on the night before he left for California and without hesitation, he answered that he had.”

 

“You and people, Eric? You seem to be an empty bowl waiting to be filled with their psychological damages,” Michelle said, shaking her head.

 

“Well the next bit was the hard part. I told him I had two things that I needed to inform him of and that one would be hard and the other I was uncertain as to how he would react. He said almost instantly to go ahead with both. I told him that less than a year after he left Boston, Helen had been killed in a car accident on the way to Detroit.

 

“Michelle, he was devastated. He didn’t cry, well not audibly so as I would know but for some time he kept repeating that he couldn’t believe it and that it was a horrible waste of a beautiful soul. Even though it wasn’t funny, he started apologizing to me like Nick does for being openly emotional and I almost laughed at the identical personality trait. When he finally gathered himself from his shock and grief, both of which seemed sincere to me, he asked me what the other thing was that I needed to tell him.

 

“Chelle, I swear at that moment I couldn’t speak. My throat locked up and I was afraid of how he was going to react. All I could think about was Nick. I started thinking that Tim wouldn’t believe me and that he would call me a liar and tell me to fuck off. I couldn’t get it out of my head that as a consequence, Nick would never get to meet his father.”

 

Michelle pulled away and sat forward on the bench, turning her body in Eric’s direction. Irrespective of her concerns and doubts about Eric’s choices and actions, Michelle’s demeanor had changed completely. Intrigue filled her mind and excitement coursed through her body, as she stared at Eric with impatience that got the better of her. Immediately she asked, “So what happened?”

 

“Tim broke the silence and asked me if I was still on the line. I told him I was and then without pause, I added that he had a twenty-seven-year-old son. He dropped the phone and it hit the floor, sending a large cracking noise through the line that almost deafened me. I said hello repeatedly but heard no response and I thought he had hung up on me. A moment later I heard him saying hello to me, calling out in the same manner I had been calling out to him and asking if I was still there. I was so relieved. I told him I was still on the line and he apologized and explained that I had shocked him like no one ever had. I told him not to worry and that I thought his reaction was understandable. Curious but also uncertain, I then asked him if he wanted to know more or if he would prefer to leave the past in the past.

 

“Michelle, he was honestly incensed by the question. I suppose to him it was a slight against his nature and he thought I was suggesting he would be one of those assholes that wouldn’t care if he had a child. Anyway, with somewhat of an irate tone of voice, he asked me how I could even ask such a question? I told him not to shoot the messenger and that I was just trying to get a feel for the situation and what would be in store for Nick if I took it further. His only reply was a question. He asked, ‘My son’s name is Nick?’

 

“Chelle, the smile on my face was instant because I could hear the emotion in his voice. There was something in the way he said my son and it really touched me and made me think there was hope for Nick and Tim in the future. I replied, ‘Nicholas Timothy Rawlins’ and after a gasp and yet another brief pause, he said with a breaking voice, ‘Helen gave him my name?’ I smiled again and I said, ‘yes because she loved you’ and he replied instantly with, ‘I loved her too’ and I told him I was beginning to realize that was the case.

 

“This was the point when the conversation between us changed. He asked me who I was and I told him I was Nick’s friend. He asked me what my name was, a fact I had absentmindedly overlooked and so I told him that too. He then asked me if I would give him Nick’s address and phone number and this was where I realized things had gone the way I wanted but further than I had considered. It was at that moment the caution you would have wanted from me in the beginning, suddenly kicked in and I said I’m sorry but I can’t give you that information. He asked with quite a lot of confusion in his voice, ‘why not’ and I told him that Nick didn’t know I had contacted him or even that I had considered doing it. I told him my purpose was to explore the truth.

 

“The tone of his voice changed and he sounded more relaxed and like he understood. He asked me what I was going to do and I told him that I needed to reveal to Nick what I had done and explain to Nick what he had told me.

 

“At this point there was another thoughtful pause on his part and then he told me he would prefer to explain things to Nick in his own words. I had no alternative and so I had to tell him that if he was telling me the truth, then Nick had the wrong idea about him. I also told him that Nick didn’t have a high opinion of him and didn’t want to know him because of what he thought.

 

“Tim said that considering the circumstances, he could only imagine what Nick must have thought of him. After what Nick told me last night and hearing some of the things he said or the way he said Tim’s name; I knew Tim had no idea how Nick felt about him. Regardless, Tim said he wanted to clear everything up and so he wanted to meet Nick and get to know him. He added that he wanted to discover if there was a chance that they could have a relationship of some type, even if Nick refused to accept him as his father. He went on to say that he wasn’t naïve and understood he had not been Nick’s father or been around to be his father but he was willing to do whatever was required to meet him and get to know his son.

 

“Michelle, I believe with all my heart that Tim is one hundred percent sincere in his desire to meet Nick and to be his father in whatever way possible, if he can. I want to try and make this happen because I believe in my heart this will be good for Nick and it will make him happy. I just don’t think he would know it would make him happy and I don’t know if he would be open to even testing the waters,” Eric completed.

 

Eric looked up between the branches, leaves and flowers to the sky but his face was filled with uncertainty. Michelle leaned forward, wrapped her arm around Eric’s body and pulled herself toward him. She kissed him warmly and then as she pulled away, she looked deeply into his eyes and told him that she adored him. He smiled but confusion was prominent.

 

“Because my love,” she said pre-empting his question, “you are so thoughtful and considerate, even though you don’t realize it. I suppose I’m only about to say this because it worked out relatively well but you did the right thing and a good thing and so I think that you should tell Nick. I think you should ease into it with great sensitivity and I think you should definitely try and make this happen,” Michelle suggested.

 

“How do I go about it, Chelle? I really don’t want Nick to be angry with me or to hate me for overstepping a boundary,” Eric said worriedly.

 

“Well that’s why people think cautiously and usually choose the easy path but you my darling, are not like everybody and you’re a good soul with good intentions.

 

“Eric, you approach Nick alone and you speak to him softly and non-confrontationally. You explain to him you believe what Tim has said. I’d suggest you don’t call Tim his father and you only refer to him by name. Somehow I think after what you’ve told me about Nick, he’ll be completely reasonable and he’ll listen to what you have to say. I would even take a guess that once he knows at least some of what Tim has explained to you, Nick will begin to lean toward meeting him rather than not,” Michelle said.

 

Eric asked, “Why? What makes you think that?”

 

“Well because he obviously wanted a family, he wanted to meet them and he drove to Boston to get answers. The only real answers he didn’t get were in regard to his father and I think the truth will be of importance to him,” Michelle suggested.

 

“If that’s the case, Chelle, Nick may well open the door to let his father in.”

 

“Well we can only hope so but I think it would be a worthy door for him to open,” Michelle said.

 

“So do I, Chelle.

 

“One thing, Eric? What did you tell Tim about Nick?”

 

“Nothing. I think he was so shocked by the things I told him and how huge what little I told him was, he didn’t even stop to think about Nick’s side of the story. He has no idea about everything Nick went through,” Eric answered.

 

“Jesus, if all of this happens and Tim gets to meet Nick and possibly become a part of his life, the man is in for a huge shock and some serious issues of responsibility to take on,” Michelle said.

 

“I didn’t even think about that Chelle but I guess you’re right. There’s also the shock for both of them when they find out they’re both gay,” Eric replied.

 

Michelle said with a more serious tone, “No doubt, however, all that aside, you didn’t put some time limit on this happening when you were talking to Tim, did you?”

 

“No, I told him he had to be patient and let me do this in my way,” Eric clarified.

 

“Good and don’t you be in a foolish rush to do it either. Do it when the time is right and trust me, you’ll know the right occasion when it arrives,” Michelle advised.

 

“I love you so much, Michelle,” he said with such sincerity, as he thought she had once again helped put everything that had been bothering him into perspective.

 

Michelle looked at Eric, her head tipped slightly and an eyebrow lifted curiously in regard to the unexpected confirmation of his feelings.

 

“Somehow you always make everything clear,” he explained.

 

“Eric, you were the one who believed and also saw what no one else would have considered. All I’ve done is consider some alternate details regarding how you should approach what’s to come. Even so, I’m glad you feel I’ve helped you. Whatever the case, Eric, I love you too,” she replied.

 

“Maybe that suggests you and I are not too bad a match after all,” he said light heartedly and laughed.

 

“Stranger things have happened but I guess that could be a vague possibility,” Michelle replied in equal jest. “However, now that we’re back to where we should be, I have a million questions to ask you about Nick’s story.”

 

Remembering how he had felt the same way the night before, Eric replied to his wife in the same way Nick had replied to him and said, “Fire away, Mrs Cross.”

 

To be continued...