The Telling (26 page)

Authors: Eden Winters

“I just wanted to tell you that I think Jay’s one hell of a lucky guy.” His voice, warm and sincere, somehow managed to be
heard by Michael over the chaos without being overheard by those standing close by.

When he pulled back, the genuine longing in Terry’s eyes overwhelmed Michael for a moment, but before he had time to question, Terry winked and
disappeared into the mass.

“I told you he wasn’t all bad,” Angie gloated.

Any response that Michael might have made was cut off as the crowd seemed to part in front of him, allowing Jay to step through. The object so fondly
displayed on stage was now hanging from the folds of his gown for all to see—Michael’s dog tags. Jay clasped them in his hand and said,
“You were with me up there.”

Not caring who saw, Michael swooped his lover and friend up into a bone-crushing hug. “You did it!” He put the stunned man down as they
were joined by the rest of his family. Suddenly they were invaded by a veritable swarm of newcomers, all seeming to have just one thing on their
minds—getting as close to the newly graduated engineer as possible.

A moment of jealousy swept over Michael when a lovely young woman with light brown skin, and the darkest eyes he’d ever seen, kissed Jay on the
cheek and hugged him tightly to her big-bosomed body, only to be followed by another girl and yet another. Realization hit him as he recognized the young
women from the video and photos, and the similarities in most of the newcomers. Suddenly all traces of jealously were replaced by pity for the man who was
barely holding his own against the sentimental onslaught of so many sisters. Several young men nearby watched the girls. Michael added Jay’s
father to his list of those who needed pity.

A pale blond woman, appearing so out of place among all her darker-haired and darker-skinned family members, stepped up to proudly hug her son. A short,
squat man with a bristly moustache shot with gray held out his hand and said, “You must be Michael.”

Michael smiled as he shook the man’s hand, then found himself swept up, first in meeting the Ortiz clan, all twenty-seven of them, and then the
blond and red-haired Gallagher family, who had been a bit slower in reaching the field.

Just when he thought his head would explode with the sheer number of names to process, Papa Ortiz announced, “I’m hungry.
Let’s go eat.”

***

Finally, a quiet moment alone. Michael had done his best to enjoy himself and not ruin the evening for his lover, even though he’d barely
restrained his impatience for this moment through the last few hours of obligatory socializing.

Juan-Carlos Ortiz Ortega (Michael made a mental note to ask Jay more about the Ortiz’ culture) had insisted on including Michael’s
family in his own family’s plans, and a caravan of cars, trucks, and mini vans drove into Atlanta for dinner, in celebration of Jay’s
graduation. Michael had no idea one person could have so many family members. There were the parents, grandparents, sisters, uncles, and aunts from both
sides of the family and more cousins than he could count, and they had come from all parts of the country to see one of their own graduate from college.
Michael vowed that in four years it would be him up there, making Jay and the rest of the family proud.

Best of all, it seemed that, for the most part, he would be accepted for who he was and for the role he played in Jay’s, no, Javier’s
life. Michael laughed, wrapping his mouth around his lover’s mouthful of name. Somehow, he just couldn’t picture the man as a
“Javier” or an “Aidan” either. Meeting the two gentlemen whom his lover was named after, however, had been a
humbling experience.

Now though, his patience was at an end. Michael didn’t bother to turn on the store lights as he all but dragged his lover through the darkened
bookstore on the way to the home they now shared, stopping every few feet for kisses or a bit of body to body rubbing. “I love you, Javier Aidan
Ortiz Gallagher,” he said, tongue stumbling over the unfamiliar name.

“
Te amo también, Querido, te amo también,”
Jay replied.

Michael didn’t need to understand Spanish to know what Jay meant, the meaning was clear, in any language. Even without words, Jay revealed his
love in everything he did.

Michael didn’t delude himself that all would be sunshine and roses, he still had a long way to go on the road back to normal. But the going would
be easier because he wouldn’t be going it alone.

Fin

About the Author:

Somewhat of a nomad, Eden Winters has visited seven countries so far. Her earliest memories include making up stories for the family’s pets, and
through her academic years, she wrote many short stories and poems. Dreams of writing professionally were realized, only not as planned, with a good dozen
years spent as a technical writer.

She began reading GLBT fiction as a way to better understand the issues faced by a dear friend and fell in love with the M/M romance genre. During a
discussion of a favorite book, a fellow aficionado said, “We could do this, you know.” Eden wrote her first novel shortly thereafter
and never looked back.

Currently, Eden calls the southern US home, and many of her stories take place in the rural South. She lives alone, having successfully raised two
children, and divides her time between a day job, friends, writing, trying different varieties of vegetarian cuisine, and outdoor adventures such as hiking
and camping. Her musical tastes run from Ambient to Zydeco, and she’s a firm believer that life is better with pets. She also loves cruising down
the road on the back of a Harley Davidson.

Find Eden’s other works at
http://edenwinters.com
or contact her at
[email protected]

Other titles by Eden Winters:

The Angel of Thirteenth Street