Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 6

bending in the wind.

    Dear Author,
    I gave you years of my life, my love, and my trust. All you gave me was "I'm sorry" before you died and left me with a crumbling house, a failing business, and your STD. Is there any hope that there is someone out there who will truly love me and take the mess that I have become?
    Obviously an HEA is required here :)
    Sincerely,
    Issa

    genre: contemporary
    tags: : friends to lovers; closeted; hurt/comfort; first time; clergy; HIV/AIDS; age gap text; text; text
    word count: 25,851
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    Acknowledgments
    Thanks to Issa, whose impressive prompt urged me to write this story, one that had been lurking in my mind for a while, but I avoided writing until now, due to the emotional investing it meant to me. I'm glad I finally did it. The warmest thanks to Stacy Jo, who generously dedicated countless hours to copy-edit this book. I want to show my deep appreciation to Barb and Jackie for their excellent work proofreading this book. Also, lovingly thanks to Pat, who, besides being my cheerleader and always believed in me, provided professional insight about the HIV environment too.
    My eternal gratitude to the staff of the Goodreads M/M Romance group, for holding the 2012 "Love Is Always Write" event, where this book originated, as part of a collection of a hundred and fifty free M/M short stories, novellas and novels. Joining the group will allow you to read all those stories and much more, but mainly, you will find like-minded friends. Extra special thanks to Jen, who has been so understanding with me during the whole process of creating this book.
    And last but not least, to my beloved Fernando, who died of AIDS in 2009. I will always remember you for being the kindest soul I've ever met, and my only regret is not having spent more time with you. This one is for you.

     
    A MAGNETIC COUPLE DILEMMA
    by Naaju Rorrete
    CHAPTER 1
    Esteban pulled the letter from his frock pocket for the countless time and skimmed over it until finding those paragraphs that, no matter how many occasions he read it, were hard to disregard and have affected his life forever.
    It was as if Mauricio whispered the words into his ear. "Esteban, if you are reading this, I'm already dead. It was my final wish that you receive this letter as soon as I passed away. In truth, I hoped to live many years, but this illness is treacherous and there is a trap every step of the way."
    Shaking his head, Esteban grimaced. God! Mauricio was dead.
    He had been dead for nearly a year, but Esteban couldn't accept his loss. It was so hard to imagine his wayward friend gone. This last letter came as a total surprise, because Esteban had visited him while Mauricio was still alive, and thought everything had been said between them. Their peace settled, no regrets, apparently. Even though Esteban had many, he acted as if there were none for his beloved friend's benefit. Now, there was not even a tomb to pay his respects, because Mauricio arranged to be cremated and his ashes scattered at sea.
    Only his letters, especially this one, were his comfort and his torment.
    Avoiding the sentimentality that overcame him every time he'd read the letter, he reread his favorite part. "Don't feel sorry for me, I'm leaving at peace without any regrets, because I've lived a fulfilled life during these years. I experienced the greatest pleasures, happiness, and adventures. If I could turn back time, I would once again choose to live only twenty-two more years after leaving the seminary, rather than sixty as a priest. Yes, I'd rather die today knowing there was nothing I didn't experience once, than living until my nineties keeping those stupid vows."
    Pausing, Esteban inhaled deeply before he kept reading, and then he skipped to the last part, which had worried him since the first time he'd read it. "My only concern is not having taken better care of Javier. I gave him this virus unaware of doing so, and even though he is still healthy, that could change overnight if he doesn't take care of himself.
    Please, Esteban, look after him. He could lose his mind after my death, even try something terrible, because he doesn't know how to live without me. I taught him everything he knows. He'd left his overprotective family to move in with me, so he doesn't have any idea of how to live by himself. I already asked my brother to help you in being sure Javier is okay, but Diego has too many people under his responsibility. I know you are