Date: Thu, 15 Dec 2016 21:46:44 +0100
From: Nick Brady <y2kslacker@mail.com>
Subject: Brian and Lanny go to Europe - Chapter 22

Brian and Lanny go to Europe – Chapter 22

This is the conclusion of the fourth part of a series about Marco, Marty,
their adopted sons Samuel, Benjamin and foster son Brian in Tulsa Oklahoma.

Part 1 is  Marco in the Park
Part 2 is  Marco, Marty and the Twins
Part 3 is  Brian Goes to College

Please send feedback to y2kslacker@mail.com and support the Nifty archive
with contributions at http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html

Copyright 2015-2016 by Nick Brady, all rights reserved.

-------------------------------------------------------

The last day started early for Brian and Lanny. They had to be packed and
at the airport to go through the rigorous security that was in place in
Amsterdam. Their bags were scanned and checked, their personal documents
were examined carefully by a polite but thorough official and they were
allowed to proceed to the departure lounge for their seven-thirty flight.

"Are we good for this?" Brian asked for assurance.

"I think so. I emailed everybody with our itinerary last night," Lanny told
him. "We're supposed to call when we get to Chicago so they will know when
to meet us at the Tulsa airport."

"I'm ready to get back home and see my family," Brian said. "It wasn't that
long ago that I didn't really have a family. I've missed them."

"Me too. It will be good to get back home. Then we need to talk to our
folks."

"I'm a little nervous about that and at the same time, looking forward to
getting past it."

"You'll get the chance before you know it," Lanny stood and pointed to
their gate. "It's time to begin boarding."

Their backpacks were checked and they carried their rucksacks onto the
plane. They had window seats near the rear of the airliner and scooted into
them quickly to get out of the way while the other passengers found their
seats.

After about ten minutes, the flight attendants were checking for seat belts
and admonishing persons whose carry-on bags were not properly stowed. The
lights flashed, the airplane started backing out from the terminal to take
its place on the runway. They edged up until they were next in line,
pivoted out on the runway, and started bumping up to the takeoff
point. There was a pause, a roar of turbines, and they were off.

Brian had taken the window seat and Lanny was leaned over his lap sharing
the view. The ground disappeared quickly and they plunged into a gray
fog. After banking around and rising above the clouds, they were pointed to
the shortest route to Chicago.

It was a long flight and they amused themselves with conversation, and a
movie on the screen in front of them. They were served a light breakfast
and made themselves comfortable. Now at the end of their journey, they
realized that they were both exhausted. This was their first opportunity to
sit still for any length of time and they fell asleep before the movie had
barely started.

Four hours later they were awakened by the flight attendant asking if they
wanted to eat dinner.

"Sure. If it's food, I'll take it," Brian yawned.

They sat up and lowered their tray tables to see what was on the menu. On
the trays placed in front of them was what looked like a rather nice TV
dinner.

"Not bad," Lanny leaned forward and sniffed. It proved to be tasty.

They dozed through a second movie and became alert when they felt the
aircraft drop in altitude. "I think we're coming into Chicago," Lanny
leaned over Brian's lap to look out of the window.

They made a large descending circle, then looked as though they were about
to land on Lake Michigan. At the last moment the runway appeared below them
and they felt the wheels bump on the ground. "We're in Chicago!" Brian
watched as they sped past terminals with airplanes parked at the gates.

Since this was a connecting flight on the same carrier, their bags were
transferred for them. They had their passports reviewed again before
boarding the flight for Tulsa, but it went smoothly. Just prior to boarding
they both made several brief phone calls, giving the time and flight number
of the arriving flight to Tulsa. It would be less than two hours before
they were home again.

They chatted and played with the video games on their cell phones until
they began to descend to Tulsa. They were able to look out the window and
identify some familiar landmarks. When they landed, they walked down the
concourse to the baggage claim area, wondering if their messages had been
received. As soon as they left the secure area and stepped into the main
terminal, they saw the people who were waiting to greet them.

There were Marco and Marty with the twins, Benjamin and Samuel, hopping up
and down in front of them holding a hand printed sign saying 'WELCOME HOME
BRIAN AND LANNY!'. There were Lanny's parents, Frank and Nancy, Melissa and
Louisa, all smiling and waving. As soon as they came close enough they were
swamped with hugs and kisses.

Everybody looked the same to Brian and Lanny, except the twins. "Have you
grown in the last month or did I just forget how tall you guys are
getting?" Brian asked.

"We'll be big enough to beat up on you pretty soon," Sam laughed.

"What did you bring us? Ben asked.

"Slow down guys. We brought you a little something," Brian told him. "It's
great to see all of you."

"Are you OK?" Lanny's mother asked. "I was so worried about your fall."

"I'm fine. It was just a sprain and I saw a doctor and everything," Lanny
assured her.

"Did you guys have a good trip?" Louisa asked.

"It was fantastic," Brian answered. "We were only gone a month but I think
it will take more than that to tell what all we did."

"We want to hear all about it," Melissa assured them.

They walked to the baggage claim area and waited for their packs. Brian and
Lanny tried to answer all their questions but it seemed like everyone was
talking at once. What was clear, was that they were glad to be home, and
their families were happy to see them. It was a good feeling.

When they walked out to the parking lot, everyone went to different
cars. Louisa and Melissa in one, Lanny and his parents in another and Brian
with his family in the Sienna.

Brian and Lanny turned towards each other. This would be the first time in
a month that they were apart. "Uh, great trip Lanny. I'll see you soon."

"Right. I'll call you tonight after I talk with my folks," Lanny said
uncertainly.

"Me too. It's going to be OK. Trust me on that," Brian assured him.

They hesitated a moment then gave each other a quick hug, turned and drove
away with their families.

The twins jumped into the third row seats and gave Brian the middle to
himself. Marty drove and Marco turned to Brian, "From your emails I gather
that the trip was a success."

"Oh yeah. It was fantastic. I have a lot more pictures to show you. The
ones I emailed to you were just the highlights."

"How did you and Lanny get along?" Marco asked.

Brian hesitated then responded, "That was great too. More than great,
actually."

Marco smiled. "I was hoping that was the case. Do we need to talk?"

Brian felt a surge of relief. "Probably that would be a good idea."

"Lanny seems like a really nice guy," Marty called over his shoulder. "We
talked to his parents several times while you were gone. They are good
people. I think everything will be OK with you two."

Brian sat back rather surprised by the feeling that his parents already
knew what was coming."

"So what did you bring us?" Ben asked again.

"Is that all you can think about? Didn't you miss me?" Brian pretended to
be hurt.

"Of course we did," Sam told him. We couldn't wait for the emails and
photos you sent back. "We missed you something awful."

Ben nodded and grinned. "It just wasn't the same with you gone. I'm glad
you're back."

"It's good to see you guys too – all of you," Brian smiled. "I missed
you a lot. And yes, I did bring you something. It's nothing much but I hope
you will like it. Remember that I was limited on money and cargo space."

"Did Lanny really break his arm and save your life?" Ben asked.

"Not really. He grabbed me when I was about to fall and sprained his
shoulder," Brian told him.

"What were you guys doing? That sounds exciting."

"It was fun. It was all fun. I can't tell you everything we did for a month
in the first fifteen minutes.  Let me catch my breath. What's new with you
guys? Have you been working on your scout stuff?"

"Yes1 We went to Philmont you know," Ben said. "We didn't do any merit
badges, but we hiked and canoed and lots of cool stuff."

"Really? I remember you talking about that before I left, but you didn't
tell me you really did it," Brian exclaimed. "Man! I always wanted to go to
Philmont Scout Ranch."

"It was cool, Brian. We got to ride horses up a mountain trail, and they
had a killer Ropes course," Sam added. "I even got to ride a mule!"

"We learned how to rappel off a tower," Ben told him. "Then we did it off
some cliffs. That was way cool!"

"Good for you!" Brian was pleased. "Maybe we can do that together
sometime."

The three brothers talked and joked all the way home. Brian took his bags
into his bedroom, dumped them in the corner and sat down on the edge of his
bed. His bed. Not a tent laid out over stones, not a bunk in a hostel, not
even a king-sized bed in a decent hotel, but his very own bed in his very
own home. Home at last. It felt good.

He looked around at the familiar walls hung with his favorite posters, the
framed photo of his family at his Eagle court of honor. His family! It was
good to be home. Now he had to talk to Marco and Marty about Lanny. He was
hopeful that they would be understanding about what he wanted to do,
although he was not positive he was sure what that was. This was a new
experience for Brian and he felt uneasy.

Brian looked at the pack which now contained mostly dirty clothes. He
decided that laundry could wait. He sorted through the pack until he came
up with the deflated soccer ball and plastic globe he had purchased in
Germany. He rummaged in his dresser drawer to find a small air pump and
added air to both. Slipping them back in the shopping bags they had been
wrapped in, he walked back into the living room where his family was
waiting. It smelled good in there.

"Are you hungry Brian?" Marco called from the kitchen. "It's your favorite
– pan fried chicken with rice and cream gravy."

Marty grinned at him. "After eating all that elegant European cuisine, I
hope our humble home cooking won't disappoint you."

Brian inhaled deeply. "Not at all. We lived on bread and cheese most of the
time. We did have some good meals, but I'll take Marco's chicken anytime."

"What's in the bag?" Ben wanted to know.

"What did you guys ask for?"

"A soccer ball?" Sam brightened.

"You got it," Brian smiled and tossed the ball to Sam.

"Wow! That's a beauty!" Ben exclaimed as he and his brother looked it
over. "It's a Puma, and real leather!"

Sam sniffed at it. "It's real all right. It even smells like
leather. Thanks Brian."

Marco stepped in from the kitchen to see what the noise was about. "Nice
ball guys. You should take care of that."

"I have something for you guys too," Brian said to Marco and Marty. "It's
pretty lame, considering what all you did for me, but I thought it might
make a decent souvenir. It just a plastic globe of the earth, but I traced
out all the places we went on it with a Sharpie. See? Tulsa to Chicago, to
Edinburgh, to London, to Dover, then a boat to Calais, then to Normandy and
the American Cemetery where Lanny found his grandfather, then on to
Paris. From there we flew to Munich where we planned to take a bus to
Fussen to see the Neuschwanstein Castle, but we met this guy Fredrick."

"Who is Fredrick?" Sam wondered.

"He was this guy we met in the airport in Munich. He was driving to Fussen
and asked us to join him. He turned out to be a really nice guy. We went
through the castle then he took us back to his house in Munich and his
family sort of adopted us."

"Adopted you? What do you mean?" Ben asked.

"I don't mean legally," Brian explained. "But he and his family were really
nice to us and let us stay with them while Fredrick showed us around
Munich. We went hiking with some of his friends, then one of them, Roth,
got us to hike this famous Goldsteig Trail. That's where Lanny got hurt,
but he's OK now. Roth is really a neat guy. Then Roth drove us up to
Berlin, and from there to Amsterdam, then he went back to Munich and we
flew home. See? I's all traced out on the globe."

Brian took a breath and looked around at the surprised looks on the faces
of his family.

"That must have been quite an adventure," Marco smiled at him. "I think it
will take a little while to get all the details. In the meantime, dinner is
ready."

It took no additional encouragement for them to gather around the table,
join hands and give thanks for the meal. Sam and Ben talked with Brian
about the cool stuff they did at Philmont, while Marco and Marty looked on
and smiled. All their boys were home and all was well.

After dinner, the twins were shooed into their bedroom to do their homework
and Marty cleaned up the kitchen, leaving Marco and Brian in the living
room.

"It sounds like you two got a lot crammed into a month," Marco said. "That
was the idea, of course."

"We did a lot, that's for sure," Brian admitted. "I have a lot more photos
to show you besides the few I emailed home to you. I thought I might make a
slide show out of them. It's easier to explain what we did if I have
photos."

"Sure. That will be fun. I'm curious to know how you and Lanny got along."

"We got along fine, really good, actually. He turned out to be a great
guy. Why do you ask?"

"As I recall, you didn't know him all that well before you went on that
trip with him. It might have been sticky if you didn't get along well. I
take it you became good friends."

Now Brian felt a little uncomfortable. "Uh, we did become good
friends. Maybe more than just friends." He looked at Marco for his
reaction. Marco looked interested, but didn't react, waiting for Brian to
continue.

"Actually, we sort of, uh, we fell in love with each other."

"Do you think he is the one?" Marco asked steadily.

Brian nodded solemnly. "I think he might be. What do you think about that?"

"I think you have a lot of decisions to make."

"It doesn't bother you that I fell in love with another guy?"

"No," Marco laughed. "Why should it? We have talked enough for me to get a
pretty good idea of where you are with this sort of thing. I just want you
to be happy, Brian. If you have found someone who makes you happy, then I'm
happy for you. I'm in no position to object to the gender. I happen to be
married to another guy myself, if you will recall."

Now Brian laughed. "I was hoping that you would feel that way. I didn't
really expect for this to happen. But we did so much together, both fun
stuff and a lot of serious stuff. Lanny is so solid. I mean, there is a lot
more to Lanny than I thought. I think I really got to know him, you know?"

Marco smiled and nodded but did not comment.

"Come on now. I'm asking for your advice on this. I've never felt this way
before, and it's kind of confusing," Brian said.

Marco sat thoughtfully for a minute. "I can't tell you what to do, but
maybe I can give you some things to think about. Is this something that
will last? What about your plans for college? I guess I would advise you to
go slow. Be sure that your feelings stay the same now that you are back in
familiar surroundings. Just give it a little time, Brian."

"I know that's good advice. Really, that's what I expected you to tell
me. But tell me this. How long did it take you to know that Marty was the
one for you?"

Marco laughed. "To be honest, about two weeks, a month at the most. I
wouldn't use that as a good model though."

"How did you know? You guys have been together a long time and it seems
like you're very happy together. How did you know that it was right?"

"That's a tough question, Brian. We just fit somehow. I was looking for
someone like him and I suppose he was looking for someone like me. Frankly,
it started off as mostly a sexual attraction. Then, as we got to know each
other, it became much deeper than that. It didn't take that long for me. I
was ready before Marty was. But everybody is different."

"Do you think that maybe you and I have a lot in common? We both had a
rough start and maybe were looking for something, someone, stable and
trustworthy. Is it like that?"

"I think that was part of it," Brian nodded. "But it was more than just
finding a trustworthy partner. The better I got to know Marty, the more I
loved him. We just fit. That's the best way to describe it. We were both a
little screwed up, but we seemed to bring out the best in each other. I
think both of us wanted the best for each other. To be honest, it was a
gamble. I think it's always a gamble and you don't know what the odds are
that it will work out. Maybe we were just lucky."

"Did you ever have any regrets? I mean, did you ever wonder if you might
have found somebody even better?"

Marco shook his head. "No. I made a decision that seemed right at the time,
and then I tried to make it work. Nothing is perfect. We get crosswise
occasionally. That's part of the deal. Maybe the key word is commitment. A
successful relationship is something that you work at. Certainly, it has
been worth it. We were happy before Sam and Ben came into our lives, then
it got even better. When you came along it got better yet. You guys
complete us. The circle of love just expanded when you guys came
along. That's what happens with a family."

"You aren't really discouraging me," Brian observed.

"No I'm not. But I am telling you to be cautious. Be as sure as you can be,
then go for it. I do think you should give it some time. I was quite a bit
younger than Marty and he made us wait until I was eighteen. That meant we
had a year to live together and really get to know each other."

"So you think it's OK to live together while you're getting to know each
other better?"

Marco laughed. "I think I can see where this is going. Yes, I do think it's
OK. In fact I think it probably the best way. Maybe it's like a test drive
for a marriage. I don't much like to put it that way, but I think it's
true. Is that what you two are thinking about?"

"We were never apart for a month in all kinds of stressful situations, and
only drew closer to each other. I don't think we will get tired of each
other. Watching him drive away from me at the airport today was sort of
painful. I want to be with him all the time."

"How will you manage that?" Marco asked.

Brian sighed. "I don't know. We both blew what savings we have on our
trip. We'll both be going to school and won't be able to earn that much. I
guess to be realistic, we'll go on living at home and try to catch some
time together whenever we can."

"Actually, it might be a good idea to give the relationship a little time
to cool off," Marco suggested. "The last month was pretty intense. If you
two still feel the same way a month or so from now, then we can talk about
where to go from there."

Marty had come in from the kitchen and quietly joined them. He had been
listening to their conversation with interest. "I hope this isn't a private
conversation."

"No. Not at all," Brian assured him. "I need both of you in my life. You
are the best friends I have in the world. This thing with Lanny is very new
to me. I need your advice."

"I can only speak to you from my own experience," Marty told him. "When
Marco and I first met, it was like lightning struck. We both felt like we
had found what we were looking for. As you know, there is a significant
difference in our ages, although it becomes much less important as we grow
older. But when we first met, I was twenty-three and Marco was not quite
seventeen. We did start living together quite quickly, but I insisted that
we wait until he was eighteen before we took the big step in getting
married. It could well have been that after that year or so, we might have
realized that we were not as well suited for each other as we first
thought."

"But your feelings didn't change. How important was it that you waited?"
Brian asked.

"It was important in several ways," Marty continued. "We got to know each
other better, and the awkwardness of the age difference diminished. You and
Lanny don't have an age problem, but consider that two months ago the two
of you barely knew each other."

"We aren't campaigning to get married right now. We just want to be
together."

"I understand that. But I should to tell you that we did something else
that was very helpful. Marco started going to church with me and Father
Hoover sort of took us under his wing. His counsel and encouragement was
very important. Marco went from being antagonistic towards the church, to
finding that it was very important to him. Father Hoover baptized him and
encouraged him in many ways. Later, when the time was right, he married
us. You know Father Hoover quite well. I would encourage you to seek his
counsel."

"Brian nodded. "I thought about that myself. Lanny is an Episcopalian
too. It might be a good idea if we both talked to him."

Marco smiled. "I have to admit I was sort of a lost sheep when I first met
Father Hoover, but my time in that church has changed the way I feel about
a lot of things. You can't go wrong talking to your priest."

Brian leaned back and asked, "So, where are we? You are more accepting of
this than I expected. Do you approve of Lanny and me as a couple?"

Marco and Marty exchanged glances. "While you were gone, we talked about
how we might feel if and when you came to the point where you are now,"
Marco told him. "I think what we want most is for you to be happy and
productive."

"That's right," Marty agreed. "Who you find to be the right partner for you
is really no one's business but your own. We appreciate that you are
bringing us into the conversation, but ultimately, that decision must be
yours. However, we do have a vested interest in your education. You have
made plans to become a Physician and we would hate to see anything
interfere with that. We would hope that any personal decisions you make
will include the pursuit of that goal."

Brian felt a sense of relief. "Is that really your only concern?"

Marco nodded. "Yes. I think so. We feel like we know you very well, and
know you to be an honorable, thoughtful and cautious person. We are hopeful
that we can trust you to make good decisions. To be very honest, we will
support you in whatever you do. If the path to becoming a doctor proves not
to be the right one, we certainly will not abandon you. We just would hate
to see you lower your goals."

"But what if Lanny and I want a place of our own? Neither of us has the
means to pay for a separate place to stay."

"We know that," Marty replied. "But if you were going to school out of the
area, your housing would be part of that expense. It isn't a huge stretch
for you to need separate housing here in Tulsa. Do you know what specific
plans Lanny has for his education?"

"Now that you mention it, I guess I don't. I know he plans on college, but
I don't know if he is already enrolled or where that might be. If he wants
to go to school in another city then we will have to really look at our
options. I would hate to be too far away from you guys. You're the rock
that I hang onto."

"So a lot depends on Lanny?" Marco asked for clarity.

"Sure it does," Brian agreed. "I imagine Lanny is having the same
conversation with his parents as we are having. I have no idea how that
will go. His folks might pitch a fit. That would be a major hurdle."

"We have spoken with Lanny's parents several times while you were away,"
Marty said quietly.

"Really? What did you talk about?" Brian asked with a twinge of
apprehension.

"We shared information from your photos and emails," Marty told him. "We
were impressed by the places you visited and your observations about
them. It was clear that you two were getting along well and making the most
of your trip."

Marco added, "I recall that before you left, you mentioned that you and
Lanny would return either as very good friends, or you would be sick to
death of each other. It appears that you have returned as more than just
good friends. Marty and I are very pleased to see that."

Marco continued, "I think that what you have to do first is to see where
Lanny is. How does his family feel about your plans? What are Lanny's plans
for college and where will that take him? How solid and lasting is your
relationship? When you have determined those things, we believe you'll make
the right decision."

Brian nodded slowly. "So it really is up to me? You will abide by my
decision? It's humbling to realize that you trust me in this."

"You are the one who will have to live with it," Marty smiled. "I think we
are supportive of you and Lanny living together for a time, say at least a
year, until you make the decision to marry. And that, of course, depends on
Lanny's plans."

Marco added, "If you guys want to share an apartment, we can probably help
you work that out. In the meantime, we would have no big problem with Lanny
sharing your room if that would help. Or maybe you could stay with him,
depending on how his parents feel about it."

"Really?" Brian asked in surprise. "But what if Lanny wants to go to school
away from here? And what if I wanted to join him there?"

"If that did not prevent you from pursuing your own goals, then we could
probably work with that too, but let's not get ahead of ourselves." Marty
said. "We like Lanny. He seems like a very good person and we wish him
well. But you surely understand, that our primary concern is for you and
your future."

"It's like this," Marco added. "For all practical purposes, you are our
son. We love you and want you to be happy and successful. We trust you and
don't want to stand in the way of what you feel is right for you. We do
appreciate your asking for our advice."

So, what do I do next?" Brian asked.

"Maybe you need to talk to Lanny," Marty suggested with a smile.

Brian smiled with relief. "I don't know how to thank you guys. I really
don't deserve to be this happy."

"On that point I will have to disagree with you Brian," Marco said
seriously. "You are as deserving of love and support as any young man ever
could be. I know you as well as anybody. You've shared your deepest secrets
and fears with me and I have nothing but love and respect for you. Please
do not ever think that you are unworthy of anything. You are a good person,
Brian, and you have a bright future ahead of you. Do not be the person who
puts limits on yourself. Go for your dreams. Be everything you can be. Be
happy! Don't settle for anything less."

Brian nodded and smiled. "Thanks again. I don't think I have ever felt so
free. I'll try to make you guys proud of me."

"We already are," Marty assured him.

"Well. If you will excuse me, I think I'll give Lanny a call." Brian said,
and went into this bedroom and closed the door. He rang Lanny, who answered
almost immediately.

"Hey Brian. I was hoping you would call."

"So, how's it going on your end?"

"Not as bad as I thought it would," Lanny said. "I told them that you and I
got to know each other really well on our trip and wanted to continue to be
together."

"Do they understand that our relationship is, well, not completely
platonic?"

"They do. Dad was pretty blunt about that. He asked me if we were lovers."

"What did you say?"

"I told them the truth. I told them that we loved each other and wanted to
be together for a long time, maybe forever."

"Wow. And you walked away alive?" Brian asked nervously.

"Mom was really good about it," Lanny said.  "I think she has known for a
long time that I'm gay. That part didn't seem to be a big problem for
her. The idea that I have found a life partner so quickly did concern
her. She kept asking me if I was sure about this. I told her that we wanted
to live together for a while to be sure, and she seemed to be supportive of
that."

"What about your Dad?"

"He didn't say all that much. I doubt he's crazy about having a gay
son. But he didn't get mad or anything. Basically he listened as Mom and I
talked about our plans and asked a few questions. I think Dad will be OK
with us after he gets to know you better and sees how great you are."

Brian had to laugh at this. "That's good news, but I have another question
for you. Where are you planning to go to school? I'm sort of on track here
in Tulsa. If you are going away for school that will be a complication."

"I guess I haven't been very specific about my plans," Lanny admitted. "I
am really interested in the Arts. Not that I want to be an artist myself. I
don't think I have the talent for that. But part of why I wanted to do that
trip was to learn more about European art and history. Another part of what
I wanted was to get away from home for awhile so I could be\figure out who
I really am. It seemed like that would be easier if I was away from home at
school. Now, that's not as necessary. As a matter of fact, I think I would
like to go to school here in Tulsa. The University of Tulsa has a good arts
program. I think I would like to enroll there. My folks were sort of
relieved about that. In particular, my dad liked the idea. Maybe he figures
he can keep an eye on me me better if I am here."

"So where are we, Lanny?"

Lanny paused. "The thing that both our parents said was that they want us
to be sure. That maybe our feelings are a result of being so close for the
past month and that maybe that will cool off after a while. Not that I
think they will, but that's probably good advice."

Brian smiled. "My folks suggested that they would be OK with us sharing my
room for a while. Maybe we could start having sleepovers."

"Yeah. A lot of sleepovers,"

"Another thing my parents suggested was that we talk to Father Hoover about
all this. He has been a wonderful friend to all of us."

"You've talked a lot about him. I've been thinking about going to church
with you anyway," Lanny admitted. "I would like to get to know him."

Lanny laughed. "This has turned out a lot better than I imagined."

"It has," Brian agreed. "We just got home today and I'm pretty
jet-lagged. I think I want to sleep for twenty-four hours, then do some
laundry. Let's take a day off and then get together for lunch or something
day after tomorrow. We have a lot to talk about and we aren't going to
figure out everything tonight."

"You're right. That sounds like a good plan.  I just want to know one
thing. Do you love me Brian? Do you really love me?"

Brian did not hesitate. "With all my heart. I don't think that's going to
change."

"I hope not. I know I love you. I think this will work out," Lanny felt
very positive.

"We'll make it work," Brian assured him.

"I guess love will find a way," they agreed.

		-------------------------------------------

   The end of "Brian and Lanny go to Europe".

   "The Rest of the Story" will follow.

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