Love is Always Write Anthology Bonus Volume

down beside him on the bench.
    Daniel hiccupped and turned to frown at him. "What about you, walking on the damned ice after I told you not to?" At least Jacob was pulling on a coat of his own.
    "I didn't have a choice."
    Daniel leaned against his shoulder, suddenly weary. "I'm sorry Trip."
    "No," Jacob interrupted. "Damn you, don't say that."
    "What?"
    "Don't apologize. You were right."
    "I think I should treasure this moment," Daniel said, trying to be whimsical. "Right about what?"
    "Right about everything. Right about the fact that I'm being unfair, that I can't expect you to always take a back seat when Father makes some demand of me. If holidays are for family, well you are my family. There's no one I want to be with more than you. I'll tell Mother and Father that either they set an extra place at the table for you, or I won't be there either."
    "Really? You'll do that?"
    "As soon as we make it home," Jacob said stoutly. "I was going to telephone and do it before I came after you. So I could say it was done. But I thought that if you'd decided to walk instead of sit I didn't want you to have too much of a head start."
    Daniel said into the darkness, "I'm glad you didn't tell them yet."
    "Huh?"
    "I don't want you to."
    "I don't understand. I'm ready to do it. I want to. You're everything, Daniel. I may love my family and my job, but not compared to you."
    "That's all I needed," Daniel realized. "For you to be willing. I don't need you to actually do it. You were right too. I want that little house with a garden that we're saving up for. I want you to be happy in your work and be invited to your baby sister's birthday. I don't need you to lay down an ultimatum for your father. I just needed to know that you would."
    "I would. I will," Jacob insisted. "It's the right thing to do."
    "One version of right." Daniel stood up and reached down to put a hand under Jacob's arm. "I happen to like the version of right where you go butter up the man whose money is going to pay for us living in luxurious sin. And then you get up from his dinner table and come home and fuck me silly."
    "You're sure?" Jacob took Daniel's arm as they navigated the icy sidewalk towards home. "You want me to go to dinner tomorrow?"
    "Go eat with them. Be the dutiful son. Then come back to our place for dessert." Daniel tipped his head sideways so Jacob's hair brushed his face. It was as close as he could get to a kiss out here. But there were only a few hundred yards to home. "Although maybe we can rock the boat just a little. What do you think your mom would do if you brought a cherry pie with you and told her I made it?"
    Jacob's smile was slow and just a little wicked. "I don't know. I think we might just have to find out."
    ****

CHAPTER 13
    March 1, 1951
    Jacob set down the phone and turned to Daniel. He could feel the broad grin stretching his cheeks.
    "What?" Daniel demanded.
    "It's a girl. We're uncles."
    "Lily? She had the baby? That's excellent! They're okay?" Daniel came and gave Jacob an enthusiastic hug.
    "They're fine. That was Michael on the phone. Lily wants us to come see the baby."
    "Us?" Daniel frowned slightly. "You should absolutely go. But I imagine your parents will be there. You don't need me along."
    "Daniel." Jacob grabbed his sleeve and then leaned in for a kiss, prolonging the moment even if Daniel didn't know it yet. Daniel kissed back willingly but distractedly. Jacob let him go and stepped back so he could get the whole effect. "They want us both to come. Michael said Lily specifically told him so. He said, 'The kid needs to see her two uncles.' They named her Hannah Danielle."
    "They..." Jacob saw it hit Daniel, the puzzlement and then the wonder. "Danielle?"
    "Yep."
    Light dawned in Daniel's eyes and Jacob hugged himself with happiness and silently blessed his sister and her husband. He knew Daniel missed his own family, sometimes missed them a lot even though he had cut himself off from them willingly. Just last month Maria, the only sister to keep in touch, had written about another baby in the family, and there had been pain in Daniel's eyes as he carefully put the letter away. So bless Lily and Michael for this.
    Daniel's smile blossomed. "We should go see the kid. Maybe bring her something, right? It's a Thursday so Dorsey's is open late. We could stop on the way and get a stuffed bear or something. And something for Lily too."
    "Sure. We can do that."
    "So what are you waiting for?" Daniel strode over to the