Date: Fri, 2 May 2003 14:48:57 EDT
From: Draginacht@aol.com
Subject: David's Initiation: The Recovery 12

Disclaimer: The following is a work of fiction and any resemblance to real
people or events is purely coincidental.  The story contains graphic
descriptions of sex between men. Anyone who is forbidden by law to read such
material must stop now.  This story is being posted to the Nifty Archive
solely for the enjoyment of its readers.

*******

David's Initiation: The Recovery 12

*******

Ah what an experience it is to move into your first residence. Dave had great
success with his condo search. He found one that was only three blocks from
his office and in nice weather he could walk to work. The condo also provided
good security; the main entrance was attended by a doorman who was actually a
trained security officer. Other, less obvious security measures were also in
place like the special card required to operate the elevator and
strategically placed video cameras.

One disadvantage of moving into the downtown area was losing a convenient
place to run. But Dave's luck held out again. Just one block from his condo
he found an athletic club with and indoor track with a padded running
surface. It also offered a well-equipped weight room and all the most popular
exercise equipment available.

Finding the condo turned out to be the easy part, furnishing it was the real
challenge. Dave didn't want to spend a lot of money on expensive furniture
because in the back of his mind he was planning to build his own house some
day and anything he had in his condo would probably be out of place in the
house.

Nancy drove up to spend a day and advise her son. After talking it over, they
agreed he should invest in top quality mattresses for the bedrooms because
that was something personal that he would probably take with him to his
future house. He selected top of the line, extra firm queen-sized mattresses
for the master bedroom and another for the second largest bedroom. He really
wanted a king-sized mattress but the room just wasn't big enough to handle
one. Dave planned to use the third, smallest bedroom as his office. After
that, they went to a discount furniture store and selected enough furniture
to make the condo look comfortable but not crowded. Dave figured that when he
moved into his new house, he could donate the furniture he didn't want to the
Philos Foundation.

That's when Dave realized he'd only begun. There were many more things to
buy: dishes, knives, forks, spoons, pots, pans, mixing bowls sheets,
blankets, curtains; the list seemed endless. His mother recommended he buy
the bare minimum to get by on and fill things in as he needed them. She
actually had a secret plan. About three weeks later Dave opened his door and
was treated with a surprise condo warming. His mother, Kate, John, the boys,
Mike, Todd and Yee invaded his living quarters carrying boxes filled with
exactly the things he needed. Mark and Matt were intrigued with Yee and they
took to him like he was family.


Dave's transition at the office was exceptionally smooth. He already knew
everybody and just continued working on several of the projects he'd worked
as an intern.

Sam called and invited Dave to his place for the next meeting of the Philos
group. Normally the meeting rotated among the members but the person who was
next in line had a personal emergency so Sam stepped in and agreed to play
host again.

Shortly after 8:30 PM Saturday evening, everyone was sitting around Sam's
living room when all conversation stopped and Peter Harris, the Foundation's
current president, stood up and the meeting was under way. About twenty
minutes into the informal agenda one man held up his hand and asked to make
an announcement.

"Gentlemen... and lady," he said, nodding toward the one woman present, several
people chuckled, "earlier this week I got some news I think we might be
interested in. We all know that we've been on the lookout for a piece of
property where we can consolidate all our operations. Well last week I
learned that the old Plantation Hotel not far from the downtown area is going
to be placed on the market. For those who may not be familiar with the
Plantation, many years ago it used to be one of the finest hotels in the
city. The main building is a three-story structure and there are several
two-story wings that make it resemble some of the present-day four-star
motels."

"Have you heard anything about what price the owners are asking?" Peter
Harris asked.

"Yes I have. Now I'm sure you realize that the property is in a pretty
rundown part of the city. That means they can't ask as much as they could if
it were in a better location. The price I heard was $500,000." A quiet murmur
buzzed around the room. "Now I checked with our treasurer and we are a little
shy of that amount but the property includes a lot of acreage which we could
develop in the future. It's a great opportunity that I'd hate to see us
loose."

"Just HOW shy of $500,000 are we?" Sam asked.

The man cleared his throat as if stalling, "We're about $300,000 shy." This
time a much louder murmur filled the air. "But if we start a fund-raising
drive immediately we might be able to raise the money we need."

The woman in the group spoke up. "Our very best fund drive EVER only raised
at most $95,000. It seems a big stretch to think of raising $200,000 more."

"This is a great opportunity for us. Surely there must be some way we can
raise the money!" another member exclaimed.

Suddenly a light went on in Dave's brain. Although he was only a guest, he
held up his hand. "I have a question," he interjected. All eyes turned to
focus on him. "If we get this property can we just move in or would we have
to renovate, bring it up to code and invest a lot of other effort into it?"

The first speaker, the one who made the announcement spoke up again. "Yes, we
would have to do that." He sounded a little defeated.

"And about how much would that add to the cost?" Dave asked.

"Probably another $500,000." Sam spoke up. "It's hard to say without seeing
the condition of the buildings." More murmurs went around the room.

"Suppose we could find someone willing to fund all of this?" Dave asked

"Who? Great! Where? Wonderful!" Those and similar comments floated among the
group.

"What do you have in mind, Dave?" asked Peter Harris.

"I mean, what kind of input would that donor be allowed to have?"

"That amount of money would buy one hell of a lot of input, Dave," Peter
Harris added. Everyone was now totally focused on Dave.

"I don't want you to get your hopes up but I may know someone who might be
interested. Can you give me... let's say a week to pursue this?" All heads
turned to face the man who made the original announcement.

"From what I know, that would be doable. I'd say we might have a month to
make a deal."

"That should be plenty of time," Dave replied, "and I'll be glad to offer any
required architectural work pro bono."

"And count on me for any construction work at cost or less." Sam added.
Several of the others spoke up and offered their services for free or at cost.

"Tremendous!" Harris exclaimed. "That should help hold down some of the
expenses. Dave," Harris looked in his direction, "I think the ball's in your c
ourt. I'll just wait until I hear from you before we make any moves on this
matter."

"I'll get on it as quickly as I can, Pete," Dave was anxious to get started.

"Now, are there any more comments on that topic?" Harris asked. Everyone
looked around the room and when no hands went up and nobody spoke up Harris
moved on to the next issue.


Wednesday afternoon, Art was in his office having a conversation with Walt
(Marcus). Walt was filling Art in on plans for his pending graduation and for
the bar exam when the intercom buzzed. Art reached across his desk and
pressed the button.

"Yes, Dottie?"

"Mr. Radford, Mr. Baker is on line three."

"Thank you, Dot." Art pressed the button for line three and, as was his
normal practice, the speakerphone was on. "Hi, Dave, this is a nice surprise,
how you doing?"

"Just fine, Art, how are Beth and the girls?"

"Hey, they are just fine. Listen, I've got you on speaker and Walt, er,
Marcus is here with me."

There was a long pause before Dave replied. During that long pause Marcus
watched the smile on Art's face turn very serious, almost concerned.

"Hi, Marcus, how are you, and how is that lovely Tonya?" Dave finally spoke.

"Tonya's great, David, she's busy planning the wedding. You're going to be
there aren't you?"

"Just try to keep me away, boy. But let me get back to you. Art," Dave turned
the conversation, "I'll be coming out to see you this weekend. I'm arriving
Friday night and I'll be staying with Alex and Steve. Could we have lunch at
the club Saturday? I need your able advice."

"Certainly, Dave, do you want to set a time or would you rather call me when
you get here?" Art asked.

"Let me call you Saturday morning after I have some time with Alex and Steve.
I should know more by then."

"Sounds good to me, is there anything else?"

"Now that you mention it, I'd appreciate it if Marcus, or as you call him,
Walt could join us if possible."

Art looked at Marcus who nodded yes. "He says he can do that; I'll be waiting
for your call."

"Thanks, Art, see you Saturday, bye." The line went dead.

Art sat motionless, staring silently at the telephone for several seconds. It
was as though Walt wasn't even there. After a while Art placed his hands on
the edge of his desk and seemed to lift his body from his chair, pushing it
back with the back of his knees. Art turned slowly to his left, walked to the
window and stood with his feet set far apart and his hands on his hips,
looking out into infinity.

Marcus sensed that something was wrong but he didn't have a clue what it was.
He was a little surprised to discover that Dave and Art knew each other, and
quite well at that. It was also clear that Dave was Art's client. After
staring out the window for several minutes, Art turned back around, sat back
down at his desk and looked at Walt.

"Walt, I just screw up. Big Time!" Art was silent for several more seconds as
if collecting his thoughts. "I just violated a trust. Dave made me promise
that you were not to know that we knew each other. I just blew it."

" I don't understand." Walt broke the silence with his statement. "Why
wouldn't Dave want me to know you two knew each... ah, I see... I think."

"Dave didn't want you to know," Art interrupted whatever Walt might have been
about to say, "because he didn't want you to think he arranged this position
for you and then have you feel obligated to him. Anyway, that's not the way
it happened." As long as Art had the floor he was going to keep it. "You see,
I asked Dave if he could recommend anyone to interview for an intern vacancy
here at the firm and he suggested I take a look at you. I did and found
exactly what we were looking for. Dave didn't get you this job, you did. Dave
just opened the door." Art took a breath and stopped talking.

"Thanks, Art, you said that very well. I've known David for many years and I
know that's how he works. This isn't the first time he's help me out, I'm
already obligated to him for so many reasons, one more reason won't make much
difference. He's the best friend I've ever had. I think David is one of
those rare philanthropic-minded people who seems driven to help others while
remaining as anonymous as possible. Their reward is knowing that they have
helped.

"I guess that's a side of Dave that I haven't seen yet." Art replied.

"Well, maybe you will some day." Walt predicted. "But I'm just a little
curious about how you two know each other."

Art pondered his answer for a moment. "I don't think I can tell you that
without breaking attorney-client privilege. But I also believe that Dave
would tell you if you asked. By the way, how much do you know about Dave's
private life?"

Walt suspected Art knew about David or he wouldn't have phrased the question
the way he did. "You mean that he's gay?"

"Yes."

"I didn't know that until we ran into each other back at school. And I'm
ashamed to say I handled it badly."

"How so?"

"Oh, I took it personal, like by associating with him it might make me that
way. It took me a week to realize I was being a fool. Then I apologized. I
was amazed at how cool he was about it. Now it's not an issue."

"That sounds similar to what happened between me and a childhood friend. We
grew up together, were in Boy Scouts together, played sports together, we
were practically inseparable. Then when we were in high school he told me he
was gay. I compliment you on coming around in a week, as I recall, it took me
months before I realized I missed his friendship. Fortunately he too was cool
about it and we were able to rebuild our friendship. In fact, we were
roommates all through college and his sexual preference, or whatever it's
called, was never a factor."

"Where is he now?" Walt asked.

"Unfortunately..." Art stopped and looked out the window. Tears didn't fill
his eyes but they were close. "About three years ago he had a automobile
accident and died a few days later. I was able to be at his side when he
passed away." Art continued to gaze out the window, seeing nothing in
particular.


After work on Friday, Dave caught the first flight he could get to DFW and by
8:00 PM was rolling up the driveway at the Roehl's ranch. He, Alex and Steve
spent several hours discussing Dave's plan and Dave received their complete
endorsement.

Saturday morning, Dave saddled his own horse and went for a short jaunt
around the ranch. The feel of the horse moving under him and the solitude of
being alone with his thoughts was very therapeutic.

Just after 12:00 PM Dave walked into the club and was escorted to the booth
where Art and Marcus were waiting for him. Both men stood and greeted Dave
with handshakes then they slid into the horseshoe shaped booth with Marcus in
the middle. The waiter was on them immediately and took their orders. When he
was gone, the three men engaged in light social conversation until their
meals arrived, then they ate. The real conversation didn't begin until the
plates had been cleared from the table and they were sipping their coffee.
Art spoke first.

"Before we get started, Dave, Walt asked me how you and I became acquainted.
I told him I'd leave that up to you to tell, if you like."

Dave looked at Art, then at Marcus. At that moment he didn't feel like
telling that story again, it was too stressful. "Art, if I went to the
restroom for a few minutes, do you think you could explain that to the tall,
dark, and handsome guy on my right?" Dave smiled when he said that, trying to
keep the atmosphere somewhat lighthearted.

"Of course I can, Dave, I just need your permission." And with that, Dave
excused himself and walked slowly to the restroom; he was in no hurry. He
also realized that his proposal would make more sense if Marcus had some
background. Dave walked up to the urinal, unzipped his fly, pulled his penis
from its warm cocoon and released a stream of golden fluid. When he was
finished he shook the last drop of urine from the tip of his penis and
returned it to the security of his boxer briefs then zipped up his fly. He
walked over to the sink, washed his hands rather leisurely, splashed some
water on his face and dried it off, then combed his hair.

Art began by reminding Walt of the friend he spoke of last Wednesday, he did.
Art then compared that relationship to the one between Walt and Dave. That
made it easier for him to explain Dave and Paul's relationship and cover that
ground in very short order. He finished by adding that Paul had left a rather
large estate to Dave.

"Now I understand," Walt said.

"What's that?"

"Well, that first time I saw Dave on campus, after years of not seeing him, I
thought he looked different. Not just older, no, it was something else. He
smiled with his mouth but his eyes expressed a sadness. Now I can see why."

"I'll explain more later when we have the time," Art said. "Here he comes."

Dave took his time walking back to the table. He saw Art and Marcus sitting
quietly, staring into their coffee cups and assumed Art had finished his
explanation. Dave slid into the booth and when he placed his forearms on the
table, Marcus reached over with his left hand, wrapped it around Dave's right
wrist and squeezed. That's all that happened. No words were spoken; none were
required. The communication was clear and complete.

"So, Dave, what's on your mind?" Art asked, trying to get things going again.

"You know about my involvement with the Philos Foundation back home," Art
nodded, "well, they have been presented with an opportunity to acquire a
piece of property and consolidate their operations and that will allow them
to make tremendous improvements in their ability to help their clients. The
only problem, they don't have the money. Last night I laid out a plan for
Alex and Steve and they endorsed it enthusiastically." Dave paused for effect
while he looked Art squarely in the eyes. "I intend to contribute one million
dollars from the trust to the Foundation to help them acquire the property
they need." Dave waited for a reaction.

Art wasn't phased. He trusted that if Dave was prepared to make that kind of
donation he had checked the proposal thoroughly and it was sound. Marcus on
the other hand looked like he was in a mild state of shock at the amount. "If
I know you, Dave, you already know how you want to do this. Right?"

Dave smiled and noted Marcus' reaction. "Can you make the contribution appear
to be from the Paul A Roehl Trust? I'd prefer that my name not be connected
to it. They already know I'm tracking a prospective contributor and that's
all they need to know."

"Ya see what I meant?" Walt said as a reminder of his comments about Dave's
philanthropic nature. Art smiled his acknowledgement.

"Okay, what are you to up to?" Dave questioned.

"That's between Walt and me. Don't you worry your pretty little head about
it," Art joshed. "As for doing what you propose, that will be simple. Just
put me in touch with the Foundation Treasurer and we can work out the
details."

"There's one more condition." Dave saw Art's eyebrows raise as if to ask,
`What else?'. "I want that property to be named `The Roehl House' in honor
of Captain Paul A. Roehl."

Art began to grin then he reached out and grasped Dave's hand. "That will
give me great pleasure, Mr. Baker."

"I don't think they will give you any static over the naming request; I've
already asked about it and the Foundation President told me that amount of
money would buy almost anything it wanted." Then Dave added another twist.
"Marcus, you should know that Paul's trust is worth a great deal of money.
And some day soon, after you pass the bar, I would like for you to serve as
Art's backup on the case, assuming Art doesn't have any objections."

"None at all," Art followed. "In fact, I think that's going to work out well
because I've heard roomers that I may be offered a junior partnership in the
firm and if that happens I plan to make Walt my assistant." Now Walt really
looked like he was in shock. "Calm down, Mr. Richardson, you still have to
pass the bar."

The three friends visited until Dave had to leave for the airport. Back home
Dave remained busy at work and on Friday Peter Harris called to tell him they
had just received a donation of one million dollars from the Paul A. Roehl
Trust and were proceeding with acquiring the hotel property.


Dave's life settled into a routine of office work and Philos activities. He
also began designing his dream house with no real timeframe of when he might
build it. His quarterly trips to Dallas for the AANCF Board Meetings
continued and helped him keep up to date on his extended family there.

Dave thought it was time he told Howard Hastings about his activities outside
the office. After all, those activities would have an impact on his office
schedule. First he talked about his position of the Board of Directors of the
Abused, Abandoned, and Neglected Children's Foundation of Dallas. Then he
talked about his volunteer activities with the Philos Foundation. Dave wasn't
sure just how far he should go in discussing his reasons for being involved
with Philos, he had no idea what Howard's views might be toward gays.

Hastings was smarter than Dave gave him credit for. He and Sam had been
friends for a long time and he knew that Sam was gay. He also knew Sam, like
Dave was deeply involved with Philos. Early in Dave's interview process for
the internship Howard had connected the dots and concluded Dave also might be
gay. He also knew that at least one, perhaps two other architects in the firm
were gay and it had never presented a problem. So what! As long as Dave
didn't make it an issue, neither would he.

Dave was a little surprised when Hastings said how impressed he was to have
one of the firm's architects involved in such noble charitable endeavors. He
complimented Dave on his activities and said not to worry about what little
time it might take away from the office, he was sure the firm would be
rewarded over time.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving Dave sent another email to Dan. He had been
regularly sending one email each month only to have it go unanswered. When he
checked his messages on Sunday he found his latest email had been returned
with one of those messages informing him the email address did not exist.
Dave sat looking at the message trying to imagine what was going on, what
could have happened to Dan. He got an empty feeling in the pit of his
stomach.


Dave's first Christmas in his own home (condo) was a real treat. He bought a
small tree and invited Mike, Todd and Yee over to help him decorate it.
Although Dave had, for all intents and purposes abandoned ties to his faith,
he could continue to observe the spirit of the season. On Christmas Day, the
three friends came over around 9:00 AM, exchanged presents and then teamed up
to prepare an early dinner of prime rib, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans,
and hot rolls. Being able to share the occasion filled each of them with the
warmth of their friendship. After cleaning up the kitchen, all four men
trouped off to the new Philos building. Renovation had progressed so rapidly
that the Foundation decided to celebrate by serving Christmas dinner for its
clients in the new dining room. Dave, Mike, Todd, and Yee all volunteered to
serve the meal cafeteria style as part of their contribution to the
organization. Their actions allowed the regular staff to enjoy the meal along
with the regular crowd.

The day after Christmas, Kate, John, and the boys visited bearing gifts and
Dave had gifts for all of them. Nancy also showed up, which was a gift in
itself.

For the New Year celebration, Dave went to Mike and Todd's and Yee joined
them also. Dave and Yee wound up spending the night on the hide-a-bed in the
living room. Everyone was much too inebriated to do anything but sleep and
the next morning they were too hung-over to function. Several days later,
Dave wondered if anything might have happened between him and Yee if they
hadn't been drunk. He always thought Yee was kind of cute and had a really
nicely rounded and seductive butt. That cute little butt had provided Dave
with more than a few jack-off fantasies over the time since they met.

The third Saturday of January was the momentous occasion Dave had been
waiting for -- the dedication of Roehl House. On Friday evening Dave picked up
Alex and Steve Roehl at the airport and took them to his condo then they went
out to dinner. Saturday morning they waited until Dave's mother arrived then
they all went to the old Plantation Hotel for the ceremony. The entire
governing counsel of the Philos Foundation (Sam and all of his friends), the
Mayor and several members of the city counsel, all of the Foundation staff
and many residents were already gathered when the four of then arrived. Even
Howard Hastings and his wife were there.

Gathered in front of the renovated hotel on a sunny but chilly and windy day,
Peter Harris, Philos Foundation President, opened the proceedings by
introducing the Mayor. He managed to ramble on for about forty-five minutes
(just to make sure the press got plenty of pictures) before turning the
proceedings back over to Harris. The Roehls were introduced and Steve made a
brief statement about how proud Paul would be of the wonderful facility.
Then, with Steve and Alex on one side and the Mayor on the other, they pulled
a couple of cords that opened a curtain to reveal a plaque on the front wall,
just to the right of the entrance to the building. Peter Harris read the
inscription: "ROEHL HOUSE. Dedicated on this eighteenth day of January to the
memory of Captain Paul A. Roehl, Loving Son and Great Friend." Just below the
inscription were the dates of Paul's birth and death.

After the applause subsided Pete Harris invited everyone inside for cake and
coffee. Dave was glowing; his chest was about to burst with pride. He
circulated throughout the room making sure everyone was having a good time.
Rather instinctively he would occasionally glance around the room to keep
track of Steve, Kate and his mother. Steve seemed to be in his element having
an animated conversation with the Mayor, who seemed impressed by the
personable Texan. Every time he found his mother he also found Kate; the two
seemed inseparable. They always appeared to be smiling and talking and
touching each other's wrists. Dave couldn't help get the feeling they were
plotting something. They were.


"Oh yes you are, now start packing!" Nancy ordered. "We're going to go and
we're going to have a good time."

Grumbling to himself, Bob Baker went to the closet, pulled out two suitcases
and placed them on the bed. He had been getting "The Treatment" for some time
now. At first, Nancy would sneak off to visit Dave while Bob was at work.
That got old fast and before long she would casually announce, "I'm going to
see Dave, Honey." When Kate, John and the boys were visiting they too would
casually let it be known where they were going. Occasionally pictures of the
boys together with Dave would appear during family gatherings.

So, when Nancy came home almost two weeks ago from the dedication of Roehl
House she announced she had met the Roehls. Furthermore, Alex and Steve had
invited them to come for a visit and she had accepted. Nancy had made it
quite clear that Alex and Steve were the parents of Dave's good friend Paul
and that they were wonderful people.

Steve made all of the travel arrangements. Instead of Nancy and Bob having to
drive into the city, they drove to the local municipal airport where they
were greeted by the flight crew of the private jet owned by Steve's firm.
This was quite an experience for them. The only other time they had flown was
to visit Kate, now here they were being escorted to a private jet. Bob was
most impressed when, as they walked up the steps they heard the engine on the
opposite side of the airplane being started. The copilot made sure they were
strapped in and as the plane began to taxi he gave them a short briefing
about the flight then went to the cockpit. After level off, the copilot set
out a fruit tray and a cheese tray with crackers. He also showed Bob and
Nancy where the liquor cabinet was and invited them to choose whatever they
wanted. Bob got brave, unbuckled his seat belt and went to check out the
liquor cabinet. He wasn't a drinker but he wasn't going to pass up this
opportunity. He poured a glass of Chardonnay for Nancy and fixed himself a
bourbon-on-the-rocks.

Alex and Steve were standing on the tarmac at Love Field when the plane came
to a stop. They were hoping the Baker's flight had been a good one and were
anxious to greet them. By now, Bob was overwhelmed with the treatment he was
receiving. `This kind of lifestyle only exists on TV,' he thought. Nancy and
Alex greeted each other as old friends and Steve hugged Nancy and gave her a
peck on the cheek. Then Steve and Alex shook Bob's hand and they walked thr
ough the private terminal to Steve's big Mercedes. Bob was even more
surprised to see a man already loading their luggage into the trunk of
Steve's car. Bob was so enthralled with everything he would have forgotten
all about their luggage.

That evening was one that both impressed yet puzzled Bob Baker. He watched
Nancy fit right in just like she belonged, and he found Steve and Alex to be
two very likable, quite disarming and down to earth people, people he could
really like. The dinner was simple and the wine excellent. By the time Dave's
parents went to bed that evening they were both exhausted. They were in
Paul's old room but Alex hadn't explained that. While Nancy was in the
bathroom, Bob began looking around. On top of a chest of drawers he spotted a
picture and picked it up. It was a picture of Dave and another good-looking
young man, Bob assumed it was Paul, and he couldn't help but notice how happy
they both looked. The picture was the one taken in the photo booth when they
were at the beach. Dave had taken it to a photo shop and had 8X10
enlargements made so Alex and Steve could have one.

Saturday morning seemed to pick up where Friday evening left off. They all
drove into town for a look around, like tourists, and stopped in at the local
soda shop for some treats. Bob had a root beer float, something he hadn't had
in years. Upon returning to the ranch they had a light lunch and then Steve
suggested they saddle up and go for a ride. Nancy and Alex begged off but Bob
felt excited by the idea. He'd always wanted to go horseback riding and this
might be his one and only chance. Bob found some real cowboy boots for Bob to
wear and that impressed Bob immensely.

Steve was the perfect host. He observed Bob's nervousness and did everything
he could to make Bob feel more comfortable. After about forty-five minutes
Bob finally relaxed as Steve showed him around the ranch pointing out things
he thought might interest Bob. Steve's plan was going well. They finally
arrived at the high point on the ranch where they could see great distances
in all directions. As they sat quietly on their horses, Steve turned slightly
to the right in his saddle and looked at Bob.

"Bob, I'm really glad you came. It gives me a chance to compliment you,
congratulate you on raising such a fine son. I can see a lot of you in Dave
and all of it is good. You know, when we lost our son we were pretty
heartbroken. And then we discovered Dave. What a joy he is. You must be so
proud of him." Bob was caught off guard and sat quietly as he listened to
Steve tell him about things Dave was doing. He talked about the AANCF, Dave's
support of the Dallas Symphony, and the Philos Foundation. Steve mentioned
how impressed he and Alex were that Dave had completed his education to
become an architect. He also let it drop that so many leaders on Texas
thought a great deal of Dave, like a few legislators and a member of the
Texas Supreme Court.

Initially Bob was ready to interrupt Steve and say he didn't want to hear
anything about Dave's life, but the more Steve talked the greater Bob's
interest became. He was learning things about his son that he had absolutely
no idea about and he began to feel a growing sense of pride. At the same
time, Bob was fighting feelings of sadness and embarrassment that he had to
be hearing these things from a perfect stranger.

"Thanks for the compliment, Steve, I really appreciate it. Could you tell me
some things about your son? We never got to meet him," Bob asked. David's
father had turned a corner but he didn't quite know where it was leading him.
The longer he could get Steve to talk the more time he would have to think.

"Oh, Paul was a wonderful son," Steve began. His chest swelled with pride as
he began to recount some of the things in Paul's life that were significant
to the man he ultimately became. At moments, Bob noticed tears in Steve's
eyes as he told about some event that had a special memory for him. Finally
Steve glanced at his watch. "Hey, we'd better get going or we're going to be
late for dinner." Steve urged his horse forward into a slow walk; Bob's horse
followed and the two men continued their conversation.

Bob returned to his room where he would shower to remove the horse smell and
Nancy was already there, changing for dinner. She made a recommendation on
what he should wear and he agreed. When he got out of the shower Nancy was
already gone but she had laid his clothes out on the bed. Bob took the
opportunity of that private moment to walk across the room, pick up the photo
of the two men and study it. `Yes, they were two very happy men,' he
thought.

Connie and Adam arrived while Bob was in the shower and they all gathered in
the front room for a drink before dinner. Bob had never been exposed to this
style of living but he decided he could get used to it real quick. During
dinner Connie and Adam both talked about how much they loved Dave and
considered him part of the family. Adam related a couple of humorous events
he and Dave had while playing golf. Bob was surprised to learn that Dave knew
how to play.

Connie and Adam spent the night and Sunday morning, after breakfast, they all
went to church. Nancy and Bob had never been to an Episcopal Church but they
were made to feel quite at home. Alex explained that they didn't have to
observe any of the rituals if they didn't want to and nobody would care. The
church was used to having visitors. After church, each time Alex and Steve
introduced Nancy and Bob to someone as Dave's parents, they were immediately
greeted with comments about what a wonderful young man Dave was.

After lunch, Nancy and Bob packed and Steve and Alex drove them to Love Field
where they boarded the Lear Jet for the flight back home. Although Nancy was
bursting at the seams to talk about so many things that had happened, she
could tell that Bob was not in a talkative mood so she limited her comments.

And was Bob ever lost in his thoughts! How could so many people think so
highly of his son? He felt he didn't know David any more, and he didn't. He
began to feel so alone, the outsider. Everyone he knew had accepted David,
why couldn't he? Steve and Alex knew their own son was gay and yet they
accepted and loved him. So did his sister and her fiancée. They had all
spoken of David in such glowing terms. Was David really like that? What kind
of man had he grown into? Thoughts like those and others kept spinning around
and around in Bob's mind.

Nancy and Bob walked into their home and took their luggage to the bedroom to
unpack. Bob sat his bag down in the middle of the floor and stood still for
several seconds.

"Nancy..." She looked at her husband. "I'll be back in a while." Without
waiting for a reply he turned and disappeared out the bedroom door. Nancy
hoped, prayed he was going to do what she dreamed he would do.


Dave was sitting at his computer refining the plans for his dream home when
he heard the buzzer at the door to his condo. `Who could that be!' he
wondered. He wasn't expecting anyone and people normally called to see if he
was home before they came by. He walked into the living room and opened the
door.

"Dad!"

"Hello, David."

*******

(To be continued.)


Author's note: Based on a number of emails, it's obvious that some of you
are more than a little anxious for Dave to find a new love interest. I assure
you he will. There are just a few loose ends that have to be tied up before
he can get there. Thanks for the emails, too.

Jeff