Date: Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:20:40 -0500
From: Justin <justin1326@gmail.com>
Subject: The Inn - Chapter 18

"Luke, for Christ's sake! Why would you want to jump out of a perfectly
good airplane? That's not what parachutes are for. They're for an emergency
as a last resort. There's a reason for that."

"Come on, don't be a stick-in-the-mud. Don't you have any sense of
adventure?"

"No--not with this. You almost made me a widower once. Do you have to go
looking for more ways to kill yourself? I swear to God, Luke, if you do
this I'll leave you."

The Inn - Chapter 18

The two men didn't talk for some time. Luke was floored at what Jon had
said. He wasn't certain Jon meant it literally, but he sure as hell sounded
like he did. Luke didn't know what to think.

Jon couldn't believe Luke was considering skydiving, and he couldn't deal
with it. Yes, he knew he worried too much and made a bigger deal of
everyday things than they called for. But this was different. Jon was not
going to stand by and let Luke do something like this. It was the breaking
point for Jon--in his mind there was no possible way this was going to
happen. The thought of Luke taking a risk like skydiving was out of the
question. Jon couldn't live with him doing something like this.

Luke put his hand on Jon's. "Let's go to bed."

They got into bed and Luke had his arm behind Jon's head. Neither said
anything for several minutes. Finally Luke spoke.

"Jon, you wouldn't really leave me, would you?"

"You'll never know, because you're not jumping out of any planes."

"But what if I did? Just once, to see what it's like."

"It's up to you. If you wanna jump out of an airplane more than you want
me, then go for it. But I won't be there to pick up the pieces, and I'm not
gonna go through it. You know I'd do anything for you, but not this. I mean
it, Luke--I will not be a part of any of it. If you do this, you're on your
own--and I'll be gone."

"You're serious, aren't you? You really feel that strongly about it."

"Yes, I do, and I'm not backing off on this one. I love you too much and
you mean everything to me. After what has happened lately, I know I
couldn't live without you. But I'm not going to watch you do something
that's a needless risk just for a few minutes of excitement. If you want
excitement, I'll give you all you can handle right here. Just please don't
make me leave--because I will if you go through with this insane idea."

Luke could have a stubborn streak, and when challenged like Jon was doing
now, his first instinct was to dig in his heels. He was pretty sure Jon
meant what he said, that he really would leave--he'd said it more than
once. Should he call Jon's bluff? Was it worth the risk? Luke thought about
what it would mean if Jon was suddenly out of his life.

Luke sighed. "Okay, I give up. You win."

"Luke, I'm not trying to 'win' anything. If it was almost anything else,
I'd be behind you one-hundred percent. I want you to have fun, and I hate
arguing with you. But the thought of you putting your life at risk for no
good reason is more than I can take."

"Well, it's not like skydiving has been my life-long ambition. It just came
up out of the blue, and I thought it might be fun, but not if it's going to
come between us. There's nothing in the world more important to me than
you, and I'll never do anything to hurt you. So that's it for the skydiving
idea."

"Thank you."

Jon rolled toward Luke and kissed him for a long moment. "Don't go thinking
I feel good about 'winning' this because I don't."

"So now that it's settled, I have a question. Would you have left me?"

"What's the difference? It's not an issue now, anyway."

"No, I have to know. Would you really have left me?"

Jon didn't answer right away. "I think maybe I might have. And if I did,
I'd move, too, so I wouldn't have to see you, and I wouldn't know if you
wound up killing yourself."

"It sounds like you already planned it all out."

"No, but I know I couldn't bear seeing you if we weren't together. But
since that's never gonna happen, we don't need to be concerned about it."

Luke looked at Jon. "I think we just had our first fight."

"You think so? I thought we were having a discussion."

Luke smiled, forced himself up on his elbow, and kissed Jon.

"How do you feel about bungee jumping?"

Jon pulled his pillow over his head.




When Joe and Paul left the bar, Joe headed to the parking lot and Paul
started walking home. Paul paused and called to Joe.

"Hey, wanna stop at my place for a while? I'll buy you a beer."

Joe shrugged. "Sure."

Joe caught up to Paul and they walked the block and a half to Paul's
place. Paul put on some music and got two beers, then they sat on the
sectional.

Paul said, "That talk about skydiving sure seemed to ruffle Jon's
feathers. He sounded like he was really getting cranked about it."

"Yeah, I think he was. You know how Jon is when it comes to Luke. I guess I
can't blame him with all that's happened."

"I wonder if Luke will go skydiving--I'll bet he does."

Joe thought for a moment. "I'm not so sure. Jon seemed like he was getting
rattled, and even though he's usually easygoing, when he gets backed into a
corner he can be someone to deal with."

"I guess we'll find out soon enough. So what were you thinking about
earlier? You were awfully quiet for a long time."

"Nothing. I'm always quiet."

"Not that quiet. Is something bothering you?"

"No, I was just thinking. I don't want to talk about it--you'll just laugh
or make a joke."

"No I won't. I swear!" Paul was a little hurt by Joe's response.

Joe did want to talk about what was on his mind, but it was difficult. He
tapped his fingers on his thigh for a minute.

"Paul, do you think Cathy likes me?"

"What are you talking about? Of course she likes you. She...Oh, you mean
does she LIKE you?"

"Yeah."

"Well, to be honest, I don't know. I never thought about it because she
always seemed like one of us guys. That's a little unfair, but it's the
truth. I just don't think of her as date material. I don't know why, I
guess because it's more like she's my sister."

"If--and that's a big 'if'--if I asked her out, do you think she'd go?"

"I don't see why not. I'm sure she would."

"But what if it doesn't work out? I don't want to lose her as a friend. I
can't afford to lose any friends."

"Joe, it's a date. You're not asking her to marry you. Keep it simple--go
to a movie and maybe have drinks after. How much could go wrong with that?"

"That other guy is taking her to dinner."

"What other guy?"

"The one she has a date with next Friday."

"Oh, for chrissakes. What do you think she's gonna do? Pull out a
calculator to figure who spent more on her? I'm sayin' do the movie and
drinks. It'll be easy and you'll be more relaxed. Save the dinner for
another time."

"I'll think about it. Please don't say anything to anyone--especially
Cathy."

"Joe, you told me this in confidence. I wouldn't breathe a word to
anybody."

Joe rose to leave. "Thanks for the advice. And thanks for not laughing at
me."

"It never occurred to me. There was nothing funny about it."

Joe walked back to his car. What Paul had said made sense, but he wasn't
sure he could go through with it. Then again, he'd opened the door and Paul
would be on his case to know what was going on. Joe felt even more
pressured than before, and in some ways he wished he hadn't said anything
to Paul. But he and Paul were good friends and Joe knew he could trust
him. Joe didn't know whether he'd pursue this, but he thought he might.




Greg and Linda Sorensen had finished their dinner and were reading. After a
while, Linda placed her magazine in her lap and looked at her husband.

"Greg, I've been thinking."

"Mm hmm..."

"Ever since we saw Luke last week, it's been bothering me. Suddenly he's a
grown man, and we missed the past one-third of his life. I feel guilty for
not being a better parent to him."

Greg put his newspaper down. "He made his choice, and he knew how we felt."

"I've been thinking about that and I don't believe he made a choice. Who
would choose a lifestyle that will cause so much pain and prejudice?
Especially not Luke. I've been doing some reading about it, and most
experts agree it isn't something you choose or can change about
yourself. It's who you are."

"I don't understand it, and I don't know how my son can be a queer. He
certainly wasn't raised like that. The very thought of Luke going to bed
with a man makes me ill."

"Greg, he's still our son and nothing will change that. You can deny it all
you want, but he's our son. I think we should try and be better
parents. It's not like he did anything wrong, he's a fine young man. If we
don't, I'm afraid we will come to regret it."

"I can't just put this out of my mind, Linda, and pretend it doesn't
exist. He's like an alien to me--I have no idea how he thinks, or what he
thinks about. I don't even know how to talk or what to say to him. We have
absolutely nothing in common."

"Except that you are his father. We owe it to Luke to at least make an
effort. It won't kill us to try and understand him. There's a group of
people like us that meets at the Unitarian Church; I think we should see
what they have to say."

Greg asked, "What do you mean, 'people like us'?"

"Parents who have a gay child. It couldn't hurt to talk with them."

"Luke is hardly a child. I don't see what help it would be."

"We'll never know if we don't try. Please, Greg, let's not miss out on the
rest of Luke's life. When I saw him last week, my heart broke. We never got
the chance to watch him grow up."

"I'll think about it," said Greg as he left for his evening walk.

Linda was satisfied with her husband's response. She knew from experience
that he would give the matter some thought, and she was relatively sure she
could convince him to meet with the group. Many of her feelings and
misgivings were the same as Greg's, but her maternal instinct was more
powerful than her prejudices. She had no idea whether anything would make a
difference, but she wasn't going to let go of her son without a
fight. Linda and Greg had stopped going to their conservative church a
number of years ago, and she found herself becoming more tolerant. She
suspected Greg was, too, but he was often difficult to gauge
emotionally. He was a stubborn man, and Luke was, too. That was a big part
of why they were estranged. Linda didn't expect an epiphany, but she was
hoping they could have a closer relationship with Luke.




On Friday after work, Luke and Jon went to The Inn for a couple of drinks
and then left for Luke's. Jon noticed Luke seemed a little preoccupied,
maybe even a bit nervous. Jon decided he'd wait and see if Luke said
anything. Luke got a couple of bags from the trunk and they walked into the
condo. As soon as they entered, Luke made Jon a drink and started scurrying
about the kitchen.

"Need any help?" asked Jon.

"Nope, just relax and stay there. I have everything under control."

Jon heard some commotion, then a pan or something hit the floor. Luke was
muttering to himself and there was more rattling of utensils. Luke emerged
from the kitchen and went to the patio for a few minutes. When he returned
he smiled at Jon.

"How's your drink? Can I freshen it for you?"

"It's fine, thanks. Why don't you sit and relax with me?"

"I will in a few minutes."

Luke went back to the kitchen and Jon heard more noise. This wasn't like
Luke at all; he always worked in the kitchen like a well-oiled
machine. Something was going on.

After ten minutes Jon asked, "Are you sure I can't help you?"

"No, I'm almost done. I'll be right there."

Five minutes later Luke sat next to Jon. Before Jon even had a chance to
say anything, Luke grabbed his glass and headed back to the kitchen to make
a fresh vodka tonic. When he returned, he had Jon's drink and a beer for
himself in a pilsner glass. "That's a first," thought Jon. "He never uses a
glass."

"Okay, what's up?" asked Jon. "You've been running around like the
Energizer Bunny."

"I'm just glad it's Friday, and I'm glad we have the whole weekend
together. I was feeling creative and I thought we'd have a nice
dinner. I'll be right back."

Luke got a platter from the kitchen and went to the patio, then ran back to
the kitchen. For the next 15 minutes Luke was dashing back and forth
between the kitchen and patio. Jon was amazed at his stamina. "He must
really be feeling better," thought Jon.

Luke leaned his head out of the kitchen. "Okay, bring your drink and come
here."

Jon walked to the kitchen and just before he got there Luke dimmed the
lights. There were two candles on the table and their plates were
waiting. Luke had grilled filet mignon, there were baked potatoes and
steamed mixed vegetables with a cream sauce, and a Caesar salad.

"What has gotten into you tonight, Luke? This is beautiful, but what's the
deal?"

"You know I enjoy cooking for you. I felt like spending a relaxing evening
with the man I love."

They ate their dinner and Luke brought out a bottle of red wine.

"Let's go to the living room," suggested Luke. "I'll take care of the
dishes later."

They sat on the couch, neither talking. They were a little sleepy after
dinner and they relaxed, sipping their wine. Luke put a hand on Jon's thigh
and rose from the couch. He braced his hand on Jon's leg and knelt in front
of him on one knee. Jon wondered whether Luke was having trouble
standing. Luke looked into Jon's eyes and held his hand.

"Jon, will you marry me?"

Jon was stunned, and he didn't know what to say. Of course he'd marry Luke,
but he didn't know what Luke was thinking.

"What do you mean? I already consider us married."

"I mean in front of our friends, a judge, and the whole world. I want us to
be legally married."

Jon leaned forward and kissed Luke. "Nothing would make me happier."

Luke got up and sat beside Jon and looked at him. "You've made me a very
happy man."

"Is this why you've been so wound-up tonight? Were you afraid I might turn
you down?"

"No, but I never asked anyone to marry me before. I know we both feel we're
already married, but this is the real deal; 'til death do us part and
all. It's a lifelong legal commitment."

"I've already committed my life to you, but it would be great to make it
legal. So what do you have in mind? I know you've thought this out and have
plans."

"Let's see if we can get off work one day next week. We can drive to
Iowa--Dubuque, probably--and get our marriage license. That's pretty much
all we need to do until the wedding. The license doesn't expire, so we
don't have to worry about that. But we will need to bring a witness."

"What about Paul or Joe? I'm sure they'd be happy to do it."

"I thought of them, but how would we choose? I think Cathy would be a more
diplomatic choice--more like neutral ground."

Jon agreed. "That makes sense. Let's call her and see if she'll be able to
go."

"Call tomorrow--she has a date tonight."

"Oh, that's right. I hope she has a good time. Cathy sure is a homebody for
a gal as cute and personable as she is. Boy, you really have thought this
whole thing out, haven't you?"

"Yes I have. I want us to be united forever. When do you want to have the
ceremony? Now that we're gonna do it, I can't wait."

Jon thought for a minute. "Let's do it in the Fall when the leaves are
turning. The drive between Rockford and Galena is awesome at that time of
year. Maybe we can spend a couple of days at a B&B in Galena
afterwards. It's only about 15 miles this side of Dubuque and it's a nice
little town. A little touristy nowadays, but it's still nice."

"As long as we spend our wedding night in Iowa. I want us to be 'legal' for
at least that night."

The two men continued to talk for another hour, then decided to celebrate
their engagement in bed.



Saturday morning Luke got up before Jon and went to the bathroom, took two
Vicodin and started the shower. By now he only needed the pain killers in
the morning to help get himself going. He had tried cutting back to one
pill, but he had built up a tolerance and one just didn't cut it. After
showering, Luke went to the kitchen and began thinking about what to make
for breakfast. Even though nothing had really changed, Luke found himself
excited and eager to do something special for Jon. The fact that they were
now officially engaged made everything seem more settled. He decided to
make poached eggs and hash browns with onions, which he knew Jon would
enjoy. After he got everything ready, he poured two glasses of orange juice
and went back to the bedroom. Jon opened his eyes as Luke walked in.

Jon smiled at him. "Morning!"

"Hi. You sure have a big smile on your face this morning." Luke handed Jon
the orange juice.

"Thanks. I don't think I've stopped smiling since last night. You were
amazing!"

Luke smiled. "I just do what comes natural with the sexiest man I
know. Come on, get up. I'm ready to make breakfast."

Jon got up, kissed Luke, and went into the bathroom. When Luke heard the
shower stop he began cooking. Jon emerged from the bathroom wearing a pair
of denim shorts and joined Luke in the kitchen. He poured a cup of coffee
and watched Luke.

"It looks like you're back to normal in the kitchen. Last night I thought
you were going to destroy the place."

"I guess I was a little nervous. Not nervous, really, just excited. I don't
know why, it's not like it was a big deal or anything."

"I think it was a big deal. It's not every day the man of my dreams asks me
to marry him."

"Well, I got tired of waiting for you to ask me, so I took the bull by the
horns."

"I shoulda played hard to get. Maybe make you wait a day or two before I
gave you my answer."

"You could never have pulled it off. I know you too well."

"You're right. When you proposed to me, I practically swooned. I'll never
forget it--I'll never forget anything about last night."

"Me neither. I felt like I was asking someone on a date for the first
time."

Luke handed Jon a plate and they sat at the table. Jon picked up the
peppermill, then put it back down.

"Go ahead," said Luke. "Even if I do sneeze now, it's tolerable; not agony
like before."

"I've been thinking about something," said Jon. "It's just an idea, but I
really want to know what you think. I'm not even sure about it myself."

"What?"

"We spend almost all our time here at your place. How would you feel about
me moving in here?"

"I'd love it. But what about your place--are you thinking of selling it?
And what about all your furniture and stuff? It won't all fit in here."

"I thought about that. I don't want to sell right now, even if I could. I
wouldn't get anywhere near what I paid. I was thinking of renting it out as
furnished. All I'd need to move is my clothes and some personal stuff. With
the rental income I should be able to cover the mortgage and assessments
with a couple of hundred to spare each month."

"It sounds good to me, but that's assuming you can find decent tenants who
aren't going to cause you a lot of grief or trash the place. That might not
be so easy."

"I know, that'll be the biggest challenge. But I could show it to
prospective renters as it is now, and if I find someone I'm comfortable
with, it would only take a couple of days to get it ready."

"It's okay with me," said Luke. "I'd love us to be living together--we
practically are now, anyway. Do you want to go downtown tonight? I kinda
feel like staying here. Maybe go to The Inn with Joe, Paul and Cathy if
they're free."

"Sure, it feels a little like a lazy day today, so that would be nice and
we won't have to worry about driving back home."



Cathy, Paul and Joe arrived at The Inn first and found a table. A waitress
soon greeted them and they placed their orders.

"This is pathetic," said Cathy. "Saturday night, and none of us has a
date. Not that I have a date every Saturday, anyway."

Paul said, "You were on a date last night. How'd it go?"

"I should have known better than to go out with a guy from accounting. The
guy has a mind like a cash register--he commented on the cost of everything
from the movie tickets to the dessert. Not the most romantic date I've
had."

Jon and Luke walked in and joined their friends. The waitress promptly
brought their usual drinks without bothering to ask what they wanted--the
two never varied.

Jon asked, "How'd your date go, Cathy?"

"Don't ask. It was very forgettable."

 Joe said, "Well, that means the next guy you date can only be better."

Paul glanced at Joe and wondered whether or not Joe would get up the
courage to ask Cathy out. He hoped he would, but he knew there was nothing
he could do except maybe encourage Joe a little. The more Paul thought
about it, the more he thought they'd make a good couple if it's true that
opposites attract. Cathy was outgoing, gregarious and had no trouble
talking to anyone, whereas Joe was reserved, quiet and shy. Cathy stood
about five-foot-two and was petite; Joe was five-eleven and trim, but very
well developed and muscular. Paul wondered how they could make love without
Joe smothering her.

"Why aren't you two going to the city tonight," asked Cathy.

Jon said, "We had enough excitement last night."

Cathy smiled. "Dare I ask?"

"Luke surprised me with a wonderful candlelight dinner. We had some wine
afterwards and just relaxed. It was very romantic."

"That's nice," said Cathy. "But what was the excitement about?"

Jon smiled at Luke. "This wonderful guy got down on his knee and proposed
to me!"

"Oh, how sweet!" said Cathy. "I don't mean to sound ignorant, but why?"

Luke answered, "Because we're actually going to get
married--legally. Sometime in the Fall, we haven't set a date yet. We're
going to Iowa to do it--they just legalized marriage for gay couples."

Paul got the server's attention. "This certainly calls for another
round. Congratulations, guys. Even though we know you're already as good as
married, this is exciting."

"We think so, too," said Jon. "I've never been more sure of anything in my
life. When I look back at the past several years before I met Luke, I
realize I was just existing. Now I have something and someone to live
for. I've never been happier."

"I'll second that," said Luke. "Jon made me realize who I am--I'm a man
who's in love with the most wonderful person I've ever met. And all he did
was love me and be himself."

Cathy said, "Oh, that's so beautiful, you guys. You're going to make me
cry. Are your parents going to come?"

"We haven't told them yet," said Luke. "Jon's probably will, but I doubt
mine would. I'm not even sure I want to tell them."

"You have to at least tell them," said Paul. "They'll find out at some
point, so you might as well be up-front about it and proud."

"Maybe you're right, but I know they won't have anything to do with
it. They'd sooner participate in devil worship."

Cathy said, "Luke, just tell them. Be the bigger man about it, and once you
do you'll have a clear conscience. Then they can decide how they want to
deal with it. At least you'll know you did your part."

"You're right, Cathy. But I'm going to wait until we have things more
finalized as far as the date and everything. If they think there's still a
chance, they'll probably try to get me into reparative therapy again."

"Did you go through that bullshit?" asked Jon.

"No, but they suggested it a few times. They really believed that
crap. They're not stupid, but people in their church were telling them what
they wanted to hear--that their son could be a normal person with the right
help. God, I can't imagine how something like that would have fucked me
up."

"I hate to even think about it. Okay," said Jon, "Cathy, do you think you
can take a day off next week? We want to get our marriage license and we
need a witness. Friday would be great--once we get that done, we can
sightsee and maybe spend the night at my parents' house. That way we won't
be driving six or seven hours all in one day."

"I can take a personal day," answered Cathy. "That sounds like fun. I'd
like to see your folks again."

"I don't know," said Luke. "I've never met your parents and I would feel
awkward sleeping in their house. What if they don't like me?"

"I guarantee that won't happen," said Jon. "They'll love you because you're
you, and they'll know I love you. Don't worry about a thing."

"Jon's right," added Cathy. "His parents are very cool, and easy to talk to
and be with. You'll love them. And I'll be there, so that'll take some of
the pressure off you. I know you'll be nervous at first, but you'll feel
right at home in no time."

Luke was uneasy about all this, but he knew he had to go through with it
for Jon's sake. After all, he was about to become a member of Jon's
family. That realization was starting to sink in--until now he had been
thinking only in terms of himself and Jon. The idea that he was getting
another set of parents with the deal was intimidating; parents in general
made Luke uncomfortable. Ever since he was a teenager he disliked having to
interact with his friends' parents because he subconsciously put them in
the same class with his own. As far as Luke was concerned there was no
reason to involve anyone else, but he knew Jon didn't feel that way and
neither did most people. As distasteful as he found it, Luke would do his
best to make a good impression on Jon's parents and he hoped they would all
get along together.



Sunday morning Jon and Luke awoke at 8:30 and remained in bed for another
half-hour, just holding each other, kissing and talking a little. After
showering and dressing, Luke started the coffee and mixed pancake
batter. As he ladled the batter into the pan, he looked up when Jon walked
in and smiled at him. Jon poured coffee and gave Luke a cup, then sat at
the table. Lure realized he'd put too much batter in the pan--it took up
almost half the room. Luke shrugged and ladled two more smaller portions to
make a large Mickey Mouse pancake. He knew he wouldn't be able to turn the
large pancake with a spatula, so he shook the pan to loosen it and flipped
it. It worked perfectly and Luke smiled to himself--he hadn't lost his
knack. When it was done he slid it onto a plate and drew a face with maple
syrup, then set it in front of Jon.

Jon laughed. "I haven't seen one of these since I was five! You're a nut,
you know that?"

"What's wrong with being a kid once in a while? Maybe later I'll show you
my secret recipe for mud pies."

Luke returned to the stove and finished making pancakes, then sat with Jon.

"I'm going to call my folks this morning to let them know we're going to
visit. Do you think I should tell them we're engaged, or wait until we get
there?"

"I don't know, whatever you think is best. But maybe we should wait until
after I meet them. What if they don't approve of me?"

"Are you crazy? I know my parents, and they'll love you. You'll like them,
too. My dad's into restoring cars and you like that kind of stuff, so you
two will have something to talk about. He's probably working on some kind
of car now. He loves to do mechanical and body work, then he sells the car
and starts another one. You should see his garage--he has every tool and
gadget you can think of."

"That sounds interesting. I'd like to see his setup."

"You will. You'll both probably spend all your time in the garage. If my
dad isn't in the garage all weekend, he's in the garden. I'm going to call
and get that taken care of."

Jon went into the living room to call his parents. "Hi, mom. How are you
and dad?"

"Jon! It's so good to hear from you! We're fine; I was just thinking about
you. How is everything?"

"Couldn't be better. Everything's great! Luke is still nursing his broken
ribs, but he's coming along."

"Broken ribs? How'd he do that?"

Jon realized it had been longer than he thought since he'd last spoken to
his mother.

"It's a long story, I'll tell you all about it later. How's Dad?"

"He's good. He's working on another car, a Corvair I think it is. That damn
car sees him more than I do. By the way, I've tried calling you but you
never answer your phone."

"That's because I'm usually at Luke's. Call my cell phone, you can always
reach me that way."

"I don't like to use up your minutes."

"Don't worry about it, I never use them all anyway. Mom, Luke and Cathy and
I need to go to Dubuque next Friday to take care of some business, and I
thought we could stop by on our way back to see you and dad."

"That would be wonderful! We'd love to have you. Plan on coming for dinner
and if you want you can spend the night. That's a lot of driving in one
day."

"That's what I was hoping for; I'm glad you asked before I had to."

"Don't be silly. You and your friends are always welcome."

"That's another thing, mom. Luke and I are...well, we're more than
friends."

"I thought so. Whenever you've mentioned him, there's always that something
in your voice. A mother picks up on those things."

"You'll love him, mom. I can't wait for you and dad to meet him. We'll plan
on seeing you sometime in the afternoon on Friday. Is that okay?"

"Sure, that's perfect. We'll be expecting you."

"Thanks, mom. We'll see you then."

"Okay, dear. Bye."

Jon turned to Luke. "Well, that's all set. We'll have dinner and spend the
night with my parents. I'm starting to get excited about it--we'll have a
good time."

Luke still had reservations, but Jon was happy and looking forward to the
trip, so that was good enough for him. He prayed he'd make a good
impression.



Thursday evening Jon was watching TV when he realized Luke had been in the
bedroom for some time. He got up to go to the john, then went to the
bedroom. Luke was polishing a pair of dress shoes and had three pairs of
dress pants and four shirts laid out on the bed.

"What are you doing?" asked Jon.

"I'm trying to decide what to wear tomorrow."

Jon smiled and kissed Luke on his forehead. "City boy," he said.

Jon looked in the closet and took out a pair of Levi's that were almost new
and placed them on the bed. He looked at the shirts Luke had brought out
and put one on top of the jeans, then selected another from the
closet. Finally he found Luke's Wolverine hiking boots and pulled them out.

"There--you're all set. Put everything else back."

"Jon, are you sure? I don't want to feel under-dressed."

"Trust me, you won't. You'll fit right in."

When they went to bed, Jon lay on his stomach, facing Luke with his right
arm over Luke's chest.

"I can't wait until tomorrow," said Jon. "We'll only be one step away from
being married. Are you getting nervous?"

"No. Not about getting married, anyway. I know that's what we both want
more than anything. We should celebrate tonight, since we won't be able to
tomorrow night."

"Why not?"

"First, we don't know if we'll even be in the same room. Second, I'm not
going to have sex with you when your parents are right there. And third,
you make too much noise anyway."

"Maybe we can figure something out. In the meantime, just in case we
don't..."



The next morning Jon got up and packed their extra clothes and toiletries
in a small overnight bag. He started the coffee, took a quick shower and
got dressed. Cathy was expecting them for breakfast, then they'd leave from
there for Dubuque. Jon looked at Luke for a minute before kissing him. Luke
opened his eyes and couldn't help smiling at Jon..

Luke said, "You look so cute. What did you do different?"

"Nothing that I can think of. Why?"

"I don't know, maybe it's because you're my finacee now."

"Your fiancee is not cute. Stunningly handsome, maybe, but not cute. I made
coffee, so let's get going and over to Cathy's--I'm hungry. Do you want
your pills?"

"I'll get them. I think we should take my car; Cathy likes to drive it, so
maybe she'll do all the chauffeuring, or at least some of it. How long is
it gonna take us to get there?"

"About three hours. It's the tollway all the way to Rockford, then Route 20
the rest of the way. Route 20 will be fun for Cathy--it gets real hilly
with lots of curves the closer we get to the Mississippi River."

Luke got up and headed for the bathroom. "She should like that. Call and
tell her we'll be there in about 30 minutes."

Luke stepped into the shower and began to lather himself. He was excited
about what they were about to do, but he was nervous, too. The gravity of
what they were planning began to hit him. Jon was the only man he had ever
loved--he had never even dated other men. How could he be sure this was the
man he wanted to spend the rest of his life with? Either of them could walk
away right now, but once they were actually married it was a whole
different matter. Luke knew he loved Jon, but how would he feel a year from
now, or five years from now? What if one of them met someone else? How does
anyone know if they're marrying the right person?

Luke stepped out of the shower and dried himself off, then went to the
bedroom and dressed. When he went into the living room Jon was putting
their razors and toothbrushes into the overnight bag.

"I knew you wouldn't remember this stuff. I think we have everything we'll
need now."

Luke went to Jon and put his arms around him, his head resting on Jon's
shoulder. They were still for a couple of minutes, then Luke kissed Jon's
cheek. He couldn't imagine loving anyone but Jon, and his previous
uncertainty vanished. He kissed Jon again.

"What's on your mind?" asked Jon.

"How much I love you. I can't even describe it, it gets stronger every
day. "

"You don't have to describe it, because I know exactly how you feel."

Luke and Jon got into the car and headed for Cathy's, where they had
breakfast and then talked while they finished their coffee. At 9:30 they
got into Luke's car with Cathy behind the wheel and Jon in the back
seat. As she accelerated onto the tollway she took the car through its
paces. She was only in third gear and realized she was already well over
the speed limit, so she eased up on the gas and up-shifted directly to
overdrive.

Jon said, "Okay, Maria Andretti, we're not trying to break the land speed
record."

Cathy smiled. "If I had this car, the speeding tickets would kill me. Are
you comfortable back there, Jon? "

"I'm all right, it's not too bad with only me back here."

They had been on the road for about an hour when Jon's phone rang.

"Hello?" It was Jon's mother.

"Hi, Jon. Thank heavens I got you; I just had a disturbing thought."

"What's that, mom?"

"Is Luke Jewish?"

# # # # #

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