Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2014 16:46:57 -0500
From: Jack Schaeffer <jack.schaeffman@gmail.com>
Subject: Forever - Chapter 8 (Beginnings)

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permission of the author. This is a work of fiction, and the characters, 
places, and events are not real, nor are they based on real events. They 
exist only in the mind of the author. Any resemblance to real persons, places 
or events is unintentional.

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FOREVER
By Jack Schaeffer
Copyright 2014. All rights reserved.

Chapter 8


I got through security pretty quickly with my priority boarding for First 
Class. The trams that take you out to the gates were crammed with travelers 
coming and going. I was standing next to a very cute blond guy with deep blue 
eyes and a skin tight t-shirt stretched over his pecs. I tried not to drool 
on his shoes. At one point I felt a hand on my ass. I'm pretty sure it was 
his from the look he was giving me, but it could have just been someone else 
who lost their balance in the rocking train. Sadly I moved to get out at 
Concourse B and he stayed behind. Too bad. I was feeling flirty again.

I arrived at gate B50 a little before 6. The flight to Chicago departed at 
7:10, so I had a little time, and I walked around the concourse, exploring. A 
late breakfast and an early lunch left me feeling a little hungry now. I only 
had the seven dollars in my wallet, but I was also walking around with an 
additional thousand in an envelope in my duffle, so I found a bathroom, went 
into a stall, and quietly transferred a hundred dollars in twenties to my 
wallet. I could feel the unusual extra thickness of the leather tri-fold in 
my back pocket; the remaining cash I left in the duffle bag, which was never 
leaving my sight now. Armed with fresh funds, I went in search of fresh food. 

Near the center of the concourse I found the Cantina Grill and had three 
steak tacos and some chips and salsa, washed down with a Diet Coke. It was 
surprisingly delicious for airport food. I then walked across to Ben & 
Jerry's and had some chocolate ice cream. Boring, but yummy just the same.

When I got back to my gate after my dinner run, it was packed with fellow 
passengers. Every chair was taken, and many had given up and were sitting, 
and in some cases, laying, on the floor wherever they could find a few feet 
of empty space. I don't know how big this plane was, but it was going to be 
packed. Another reason to be grateful for First Class.

As I looked around for a place to sit, my eyes locked on a middle aged 
couple. She was crying silently, her red rimmed eyes betraying her sadness. 
Her partner has also been crying, I thought, but at the moment was clearly 
aggravated about something, angry at some unknown circumstance or person. He 
was trying to explain something to his wife, but I could tell she wasn't 
listening.

I forced myself to look away, but it made my heart sad. Maybe because I had 
had such a great day and was feeling relaxed and, dare I say it, kind of 
happy, I just didn't want anyone flying with me to be that upset. But there 
was nothing I could do to fix that.

A couple of minutes later, I saw the gate agent at the counter reach for the 
microphone to make an announcement.

"Ladies and gentlemen, for those of you waiting in the B50 gate area to board 
United flight 782, there has been a schedule change. Due to severe weather 
currently in Chicago, our flight has been delayed for approximately 30 
minutes. We will update you again just as soon as we know more, and thank you 
for your patience. Please remain in the gate area in case there are 
additional changes."

I heard the sad woman let out a wail of frustration and watched as she pushed 
her way through the crowd towards the main walkway, showing no regard for who 
or what she may be stepping on. This woman was seriously hurting. I saw her 
head for the women's restroom across the concourse, her husband hot on her 
heels, juggling both of their carryon bags and apologizing to everyone he 
tried to get past.

Since I had never found a seat, I walked over to where he was standing, 
waiting for his wife with a perplexed, defeated look on his face.

"Rough night?" I asked gently.

"What...oh...yeah, you could say that. Our daughter is having emergency surgery 
tonight in Chicago and this is the only flight left to get us there. I'm 
worried sick about her. My son Greg called and said all he knew was she was 
in a car accident and was taken to the emergency room. He's supposed to pick 
us up at the airport." He was near tears again.

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. Is there anything I can do to help?" It 
sounds good to ask, but really, what could I do? I was at the mercy of United 
same as he.

"Not unless you can get that stuck up bitch at the gate to change our seats. 
We got like the last two seats available on this flight, but we are sitting 
way far apart. My wife needs me - she is seriously losing it and I don't know 
how to help her. The delay has just about sent her over the edge I think. I 
need to get us to Chicago, and I really need to be with her on that plane."

"I take it you have explained the situation to the gate agent but no dice?"

"Three times. But she keeps saying they are overbooked and some people won't 
get seats at all and I should be happy I have a seat tonight. Then she says 
there's nothing she can do. Look at her, just standing there doing nothing 
now." She did indeed appear to be doing nothing from where we were standing.

I don't know why, but I suddenly wanted to try to do something for this 
couple. I couldn't imagine the fear and anxiety of having your son or 
daughter needing surgery and you are so far away. I couldn't get them to 
Chicago any faster, or fix the weather, but I needed to find a way to help 
somehow.

I stuck out my hand. "My name is Jack, by the way."

"Adam...Adam Colson. And this is my wife, Mary Beth," he said, just as she 
walked out of the bathroom. She saw him and stepped over, looking a little 
better now. She had washed her face, brushed her long auburn hair, and was 
slightly calmer. The agitation and worry was still pinging all over her face, 
though. She paid me no real attention. I didn't mind. She had more important 
stuff to think about.

"Adam, I'm sorry for falling apart. I just don't know what to do. Jennifer 
needs me and I can't get to her. She'll never forgive me." Her tears started 
flowing again. Most likely she would never forgive herself. It was heart 
breaking.

"There, there, honey. We'll get there in time. Until then we have to trust 
that the doctors know how to help her. She'll understand, I promise." He was 
saying the right words, but they were little comfort. She buried her face in 
his chest and sobbed quietly. He looked up at me with pleading eyes, as if to 
say, "Do something man, I'm drowning here."

"Excuse me one minute, Adam. I'll be right back." He nodded, not really 
caring if I returned or not, and went back to speaking softly to Mary Beth 
and rubbing her back while she cried.

I walked over to the now idle gate agent, trying to think of something. As I 
approached she looked up at me with pursed lips where a smile should have 
been, and said in a cold tone, "Can I help you with something?" Clearly 
another person to aggravate her tonight. I get that serving the public can be 
a royal pain, especially when nerves are shot and delays are mounting. 
Patience can wear thin. Hers was non-existent.

"Yes, actually, I hope you can. I would like to know if there are two seats 
open in First Class on this flight."

"I doubt it, but I'll check." How nice of her. Hope she didn't break a nail 
on the keyboard.

"No sir. Just as I thought. We only have one seat open in first - 4B." I 
looked at my boarding pass - my seat was 4A. That meant the seat next to me 
was empty. Now I had a plan. Would the agent play along?

"Ma'am," I said, being as sweet as I could be. "My seat is 4A. Could I give 
my seat to another passenger, and then buy the empty seat next to it for 
another passenger?"

"Well, that would be highly irregular. I don't think that will work. We have 
already printed the inflight passenger manifests and I don't think I can 
change any seats at this time. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to make a 
call." She turned her back to me, and reached for a phone. I couldn't believe 
the audacity, but willed myself to remain calm. There had to be somebody who 
could help.

I scanned the surrounding area. There was another desk across the concourse 
with a sign above it that said "Customer Service". There was a nice looking 
guy standing there with his head down, working on his computer. He had one 
passenger in front of him, waiting. He looked up, spoke to the passenger, and 
judging by the relief on her face, he must have solved a serious problem for 
her. She walked away smiling. Maybe this is my helper.

I nearly ran over and stood before him. Up close, he was in his late 30s, 
with short, medium-brown hair, and an average build. Nothing to excite me, 
but I wasn't there to flirt - I needed real help.

"Can I help you, young man?" he asked. His name tag identified him as Kevin. 
He seemed eager to assist.

"I certainly hope so, Kevin. The woman over at Gate 50 wouldn't help at all."

He looked across and grimaced, seemingly not surprised. "What do you need? 
Worried about missing a connection in Chicago?"

"No, no. Nothing like that. I want to give my seat to another passenger and 
buy the empty seat next to that one for his wife. Can I do that somehow?"

"Let me see your boarding pass, and I'll look into it." I handed it over, 
hoping against hope. He started typing on his computer.

"Well, Mr. Schaeffer, I see you are in Seat 4A. Seat 4B is definitely open. 
Now you want to give up your seat and then pay the fare for 4B?"

"Yes, can I do that?" He hadn't said no yet.

"And how will you be getting to Chicago tonight, Mr. Schaeffer?" I hadn't 
thought of that. I was too busy trying to help out Adam and Mary Beth.

"Well, the other two people I'm doing this for are already on this flight. 
Could I just swap seats with them and then pay to upgrade the other to 
First?"

"I might be able to do that. Do you know their names?" I told him. He typed 
some more into his computer, looked at the screen, then typed some more. 
Finally he looked up.

"Here's what I can do. I can't do a simple swap of seats - security pays very 
close attention to that kind of thing, and the manifests are posted to the 
system. What I can do, however, is cancel your seat, then apply the cost of 
your ticket to a full fare coach seat for you, with the remainder going to 
help pay for the upgrades to First for the other two passengers. Is that what 
you want to do?" 

Oh crap! That sounded super expensive. But then I remembered my brand new 
Amex Centurion card. I pulled it out and handed it over quickly, before 
either one of us changed our minds. His eyes opened wide when he saw the 
card.

"Very well, Mr. Schaeffer. Let me work some magic in the computers and see if 
I can't make this happen for you." Sometimes you just have to find the right 
person.

While he typed away, I saw the gate agent across the concourse staring 
daggers at me. Right about now she was probably figuring I was attempting an 
end run around her dodge. She was overtly smirking at me, certain I would 
fail. Really? That's all she had to do tonight - take pleasure in not helping 
someone? Disgusting.

"Okay, Mr. Schaeffer. I think that just about does it. I applied the cost of 
your current ticket to the cost of the upgrades, and unfortunately for you, 
the downgrade, and the balance charged on your card was $1,274.00." The look 
on my face must have conveyed my shock. I had never spent that kind of money 
unless I was paying college tuition. It was more than the down payment on my 
car.

"That is what you wanted me to do, correct, Mr. Schaeffer?"

I recovered quickly. I hoped Todd wouldn't be mad at me. "Yes, yes. It's 
fine, Kevin. Thank you so much for your help. I do have one more request, if 
I can?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Well, I just met this couple a few minutes ago. Their daughter was in a car 
accident and they are trying to get to her in Chicago. They're pretty upset. 
I don't really want them to know that I did this. Is there a way you can let 
them know and leave me out of it? Maybe you could tell them United decided to 
assist them in a one-time special way because of their circumstance or 
something."

"I see. Well, let me say this was extraordinarily generous on your part to 
help them. I'll tell you what. Leave it to me. I'll print all three new 
boarding passes here. In fact, let me do that right now." He started clicking 
away again and very soon three new boarding passes printed below him. He 
handed me mine - 24D - and then held onto the Colsons'.

"Can you point them out to me? I'd rather not draw attention by calling them 
to the desk."

I showed him where they were sitting, Mary Beth leaning on Adam's left 
shoulder, her eyes closed. He described them back to me so he knew he had the 
right couple, then scooted around the counter and sauntered over to them. He 
must have asked to see their old boarding passes; I saw Adam hand them over. 
I could imagine Kevin looking at the boarding passes, saying there must have 
been some mistake, and then he reached into his pocket and gave them the new 
First Class passes.

Even from where I was standing, I could see the wonder and surprise on both 
their faces. Then more tears of relief as they realized they could now sit 
together on the flight. I had a few tears of my own, which I quickly wiped 
away with my shirt sleeve as Kevin returned. His eyes looked a little moist 
as well.

"That was the best part of my day. Hell, my month. Thank you, Mr. Schaeffer. 
I try to help people all the time, but I seldom get to see the impact of 
something like that. You are a very special person, indeed. They are 
fortunate to have met you this evening, as am I."

Now I was a little embarrassed. "Kevin, I'm just fortunate to have the 
resources to help out a little bit. I couldn't have done it without you. 
You're the one that made it happen when no one else would help."

"Thank you for that, but I think you sell yourself short there. I don't know 
of one in a thousand who have the resources and could help, who would 
actually do it. I stand by what I said. You're one of the good guys, Mr. 
Schaeffer."

I blushed. "Thank you, again, for your help, Kevin."

"My pleasure, Mr. Schaeffer. Have a pleasant flight. It looks like the delay 
will be lifted soon. You should be underway shortly."

Sure enough, passengers were lining up to board at that gate. I saw Adam and 
Mary Beth standing in the line for First Class, his arm around her, holding 
her close. This was a guy who loved his wife. It felt good to know I had 
maybe helped lessen his sense of impotence in the face of an impossible 
situation. He could now give his wife the support and love she needed, and 
hopefully their daughter would be okay.

When they handed their boarding passes to the agent, she got a surprised look 
on her face, but thankfully she didn't say anything to them. They passed into 
the jet way arm in arm.

After nearly everyone else had boarded, my group - Group 5 - was called. When 
I handed my boarding pass to the agent she looked at and gave it back to me 
with a disgusted look on her face. I didn't care. I won, she lost, and there 
was a couple on this plane who could hold each other's hands and pray for 
their daughter who needed them. Where I sat meant nothing.

Every seat was filled, and as I had feared, 24D was a middle seat halfway 
back. The overhead bins were full, so I stuffed my duffle under the seat in 
front of me. It only had dirty clothes in it. And my stash of cash. Under my 
feet was a good place for it.

My seat mates were an interesting pair. The man on my right, by the window, 
was an older gentlemen, with a full head of white hair and a trimmed, white 
beard. He had the air of a college professor about him. He already had a 
thick book out on his lap, reading with his finger moving under the words 
across the page. The lady on the aisle to my left was of like age. She too 
had white hair, carefully styled to match her expensive looking travelling 
clothes. Even crammed into a coach seat in the back, she was the kind of lady 
that would put her best foot forward and always try to look her best. I 
realized I admired her for that. 

Safety talk completed, they dimmed the lights and we were soon airborne. The 
pilot came on and said he hoped to make up some of the 30 minute delay in the 
air. I smiled, hoping Mary Beth Colson in 4B took some comfort in that. I 
reclined my seat and closed my eyes. I'd be home in a few short hours. I fell 
asleep.

I woke up sometime later when the flight attendants were handing out tiny 
bags of peanuts and drinks in small plastic cups. I ate my 12 peanuts - yes, 
I counted - and drank my 4 sips of water - I counted those too - and thought 
about the past two days. My life would never be the same - that was a given. 
What direction it took, that was what I needed to decide. I had options - a 
lot of options, now.

And I had new friends; they felt more like family to me. I really had no idea 
how that happened. I was a stranger that they were all just supposed to help 
as part of their jobs. But somehow they got into my heart, and I in theirs. I 
missed Billy and Sharon, and even Clyde, already. In that moment I realized 
for the first time the pain of being separated from the ones you care about. 
When I had moved to Chicago, I felt none of these feelings. I was glad to be 
escaping that life. There were no regrets in that departure.

It was their care and affection for me that helped me drop my guard and admit 
to Billy and Sharon that I was gay. Instead of thinking I was a freak, they 
embraced me all the more. I had come to realize that I could be gay and still 
be a good person. Money can buy a lot of things, but that revelation was 
priceless to me.

Helping the Colsons made me feel really good inside, too. Almost without 
thinking, I had used my new found riches to do something to help someone else 
- I'd swung the hammer and hit the nail on the head. Sure, it was a very 
small thing, but I was pretty sure it meant a lot to the Adam and Mary Beth, 
and even if all it did was relieve some of the intense emotional pressure for 
a few hours, then it was worth it. 

My reverie was broken when I happened to see a vision of hotness near the 
front of my cabin. Seth, the golden haired flight attendant from my earlier 
flight, was standing up there, talking seriously with another attendant. They 
each had clipboards and seemed to be comparing them to one another. Just 
looking at him from that far away brought back the memories of our flirting 
from the other night. I sighed, realizing I had given up more than a First 
Class dinner and more legroom. I could have had Seth to look at all night. 
But it was okay. I had done the right thing - and when you do the right 
thing, it may cost you something. That doesn't mean it's not right.

I watched as Seth was now running his finger up and down the other 
attendant's clipboard, searching for something. His finger finally stopped on 
a specific spot on the board, and then he looked up, right at me. And he 
smiled big and wide. He knew I could see him, so he motioned with his finger 
for me to come up where he was standing. How could I resist? Anything to 
unpretzel myself for a few minutes, and besides, it was Seth. And he wanted 
me.

He watched me as I walked up the aisle, his eyes moving up and down my body. 
Mine were doing the same to his. In the dim lights he looked even sexier than 
I remembered. I hoped my hardening dick wasn't showing in my pants. When I 
got to him he reached out to grab my arm and pulled me into the galley area 
and out of the aisle. 

"Jack! I can't believe it. You're a sight for sore eyes." He was very 
excited.

"Seth, it's great to see you. I didn't know you were on this flight."

"I'm stuck in First again. Speaking of which, when I boarded I saw your name 
on the First Class manifest, but then you didn't board. I was so 
disappointed. I was looking forward to a fun flight with you again." His eyes 
were sparkling with that special light again. What the hell was that?

"Yeah, well, I ended up back in coach. Sorry about that. Long story."

"Wait a minute...4A and 4B...husband and wife. They've been crying off and on all 
flight. Did you have something to do with that? When I was serving them 
dinner they said something about how wonderful it was for the airline to get 
them two seats together, and to upgrade them to First. Let me guess? United 
didn't do that - you did. You swapped seats."

I blushed in embarrassment. "Yeah, well, they are nice couple who needed to 
catch a break. They've had some really bad news and it was the only thing I 
could think of to do for them." I told the rest of the little I knew of the 
Colsons.

"You know, Jack. I said it the other night, and I'll say it again. You're a 
very special guy. You do the kindest things. That's why when they told me 
about their seat change, I wondered if you had changed as well. Our count was 
correct. So I came back to check. And I found you. And I've got some exciting 
news that I just have to tell you, since you played a big part in it." 

I could not imagine what I had done for Seth, except run him ragged fetching 
glasses of water so I could lust after his ass.

"So Jack, remember the other night when I told you that I really appreciated 
how good you made me feel, flirting and watching me all night? No, don't be 
embarrassed. I loved it. I mean it. So much so that it inspired me to do 
something I had needed to do for a long time. You see, I had been separated 
for three months from my boyfriend after being together for over two years. I 
was having a very difficult time letting go, even though I was the one that 
ended it. I loved Tim - so much. But...he didn't love me the same way. I 
couldn't even get him to move in with me. So that night, I was feeling better 
about myself than I had in a really long time. I decided I could do it. There 
were other guys out there who could love me, maybe even that hunk, Jack." Now 
I was severely blushing - I hoped he couldn't see it in the dim lights. Did 
he just call me a hunk?

"So I got home, poured some wine, put on some music, and just chilled, 
feeling on top of the world. I could make choices again. Then there's this 
knock on the door. It's late, who could it be? Well, it's Tim. I let him in 
and ask him what he wants - he says I want you, Seth. I want us to be an "us" 
again. And, Jack, it was the hardest thing I ever did, because a huge part of 
me wanted to take him back on the spot, but I didn't. I listened to him give 
his reasons why we were perfect for each other - all of which are true by the 
way - and then dropped the bomb on him. There's only one problem, Tim, you 
don't love me - not the way I love you. I want the whole deal, not just sex 
and fun times. I'm tired of waiting for you to commit to this relationship 
and be all in. Good and bad, fun and shit times. All of it. And I'm not 
living alone anymore. So I'm sorry, but the answer is no. I need to move on 
and find someone who can love me that way and I can love them that way in 
return.

He goes quiet with this shocked look on his face, and I show him to the door. 
I tell you, Jack, when I closed that door I thought I was closing it on Tim 
forever. I cried and cried, but it was good, you know, like a cleansing. I 
know that sounds sappy, but that's how it felt.

The next day was my day off, so I'm just hanging out, eating a pizza and 
watching basketball. The doorbell rings, and it's Tim again, only this time 
he's got flowers, wine, and a request. Would I just hear him out. I thought, 
fine, why not, so I let him in. He proceeds to tell me how sorry he is for 
being selfish and afraid to move forward. He had been hurt pretty badly in a 
previous relationship when a guy had abandoned him with no warning or 
explanation. He had never told me that. I think he was embarrassed about it. 
Anyway, he tells me he absolutely loves me, can't imagine not having me in 
his life, and he is willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen. And 
Jack, he gets down on one knee right there in my living room and opens up a 
ring. He asked me to marry him! I'm engaged, Jack. I'm getting married!" He 
held up his left hand, and sure enough, there was a beautiful platinum band 
around his ring finger.

He was so happy, giddy even, and I was happy for him. Disappointed for 
myself, but that was me being selfish. Seth deserved more than flirting and 
lustful desire from afar. He deserved Tim, from the sound of it.

"Seth. That's fantastic. I'm so happy for you. Are you sure this is what you 
want?"

"Oh, yes, Jack. I'm sure. Tim and I are perfect for each other. Always have 
been. I just didn't know why he was holding back. We talked a long time that 
day - and well into the night - and I promised him that I would never abandon 
him like that. He really was so scared that it was all going to happen again. 
But now we are together forever, and I have you to thank for it, Jack."

"Me? What did I do?"

"You gave me the courage to stand up for myself; that I deserved to be loved 
completely. Tim told me later that it was my doing that that convinced him he 
had to make things right between us. Do you know he had that ring for two 
months, trying to decide if he could do it or not? He's so sweet. Oh God, 
Jack. I so love that man. And I know now that he really, really loves me."

Just then, the curtain separating First Class and Coach was thrown open and 
another flight attendant popped through. 

"Seth! There you are. It's time to start final prep." She was looking at us, 
standing very close together. Clearly she did not like what she was looking 
at. "Maybe you can give some of the other passengers a moment of your time 
instead of flirting with this one and being generally inappropriate."

Seth saw the angry look rise on my face, so before I could say anything, he 
handled it. "Sure thing, Angie. I'll be right there. Just helping this 
passenger with a connection issue." He waived his clipboard at her, like a 
missed flight is what we had been discussing. More like a missed opportunity 
on a love life. Angie turned in a huff and disappeared through the curtain.

"Well, Jack. Gotta go back to the grind. I'm so glad I got to see you again 
tonight. I really can't thank you enough for what you did for me."

I was happy for Seth. He was getting what he always wanted. What I wanted. I 
was sad for me, though, and it must have shown on my face.

"Jack, don't look so down, man. I think you are an amazing guy, and if Tim 
and I hadn't worked things out, you and I might be having a very different 
kind of conversation tonight. You are a special guy, Jack. And I know there's 
an amazing guy out there looking for you. You'll find him. And he will be the 
luckiest son of a bitch ever." He smiled, and then did something very airline 
inappropriate. He hugged me tightly. It felt so good. I didn't want to let 
go, but I also didn't want to get him in trouble.

I stepped back and looked into his eyes. "I really am happy for you, Seth. I 
hope you and Tim have a wonderful life together. It's been fun hanging out 
with you on the plane. And thanks for sharing your good news. I mean it. It 
gives me hope."

"Sure thing, buddy. Take care." And with that, he was gone. 

I returned to my seat and squeezed back in. I was so ready for this flight to 
be over.

We landed and arrived at our gate only 5 minutes late. I could see a pretty 
fierce rain coming down through the plane windows. I was going to get wet 
finding my car for sure. I sighed, and sat back waiting for all the 
passengers seated in front of me to deplane. Finally it was our turn. I 
helped the lady on my left take down her carryon bag, which she thanked me 
for very sweetly, then put my duffle over my shoulder and headed up the 
aisle. I looked for him, but no Seth again. Oh well.

My four sips of water had not put any pressure on my bladder, but I figured 
I'd better make a pit stop anyway, before getting out there in that soup. I 
came out of the bathroom and saw Adam and Mary Beth Colson just a few yards 
in front of me. Call me ghoulish, but I was curious about the outcome of 
their daughter's surgery. But I couldn't exactly go up and ask. They may not 
even know yet. 

I decided to follow them to baggage claim. I could stand there, even though I 
had no baggage, without drawing attention to myself. So that's what I did. I 
stayed behind them the whole way. Adam was trying unsuccessfully to get 
someone on his cell phone and he was clearly frustrated about it. We rode the 
escalator down to the baggage level and I followed them to carousel 4. I 
stood off to the side, maybe 15 feet away from the Colsons.

We were only standing there maybe three minutes, waiting for the bags to 
arrive, when there was a shout behind us. 
 
"Mom! Dad!" Everyone turned, but it was Mary Beth who took off running toward 
the shouter.

"Oh, Greg. How is she? Is she all right? Tell me, is she all right?" She was 
holding onto the sides of his face, daring him to look anywhere else and not 
give her the answer she desperately needed.

"Yeah, Mom. Jen is gonna be fine. She had a ruptured spleen, which they 
removed, and took care of a couple of stitches, but that's it. She'll be good 
as new in no time."

The family just stood there and hugged one another, tears of relief flowing 
freely. My own face felt wet. I decided then and there that real love made me 
cry. It was a good feeling. To see a family that cared so much about one 
another, that lived for one another. I wanted that. I needed that.

There was nothing more I could do there, so I followed the signs that led me 
up to the parking lot trams and jumped on one at the last second as the doors 
were closing. When we arrived out at the parking lot, it was very dark, 
despite all the lights illuminating the cars, with torrents of rain falling. 
I got my jacket out of my duffle, and saw the envelope of cash. My new 
toolbox. 

I zipped up my jacket and trotted out into the rain. I have a pretty good 
memory for placement of things, kind of like a built in GPS system, so I 
found my car with no effort. I got in and immediately had a puddle of nearly 
ice cold water on the floor mat below my feet. I got the heater going and by 
the time I got home I had unzipped the jacket and could just about feel my 
toes again.

My apartment was my apartment. Nothing had changed. But as I stepped through 
the door, I had a vague sense that it was somehow empty. That something was 
now missing, that I had not been aware of before. But I was too tired and wet 
to care. I didn't even unpack. I threw the duffle on the floor in my bedroom, 
ripped off my clothes, and slid under the sheets. I slept like the dead.


To be continued...

Author's Note: Seth returns...only to take a different path from Jack. Never 
fear, Jack's forever love is still out there. Their paths will cross soon. 
Oh, and there will be more sex in the next chapter, for those who have been 
waiting patiently...