Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 9

sweetie, just let me be the maid of honor at your wedding and we'll be square."
    "Well there's a long way to go before we get there, but I'll see what I can do."
    After stuffing even more food into their protesting stomachs, they all sat around the table, too lethargic from overindulgence to move just yet. Michael's mom was praising Cole for his culinary talent and thoughtfulness, looking at him like a proud mother-hen. And that's when it hit him. A wave of melancholy swept over him, and he had to fight to keep the feast he'd eaten down as memories from his past regurgitated.
    He was thankful when Michael's mom ordered them into the living room to relax, while she, Angela and Elijah cleaned up. He knew Michael could tell something was wrong from the looks he was getting from him. They plopped down on the couch and Michael threw his arm around his shoulders, trying to pull him closer. Cole abruptly pulled away from him. He couldn't accept the comfort; couldn't allow the intimacy just then. Instead, he ran away. "I'm sorry. I'm not feeling too good. Would you mind if I went to lie down for a bit?"
    "Yeah, sure. Do you need anything?"
    "No, thanks," was the only reply he could give without breaking down right then and there.
    Michael sat on the couch and went over the day with a fine tooth comb. He just couldn't figure out what had went wrong. His mom adored Cole and did everything she could to make him feel comfortable and welcome. His sister was acting a bit strange but not rude. Everyone loved his food. In fact, his mom had been saying how great it would be to have a baker in the family. Suddenly, Michael knew what was wrong. Cole wasn't ready to be included in the future with him.
    He was sitting on the couch pouting when his mother dropped down next to him. "Where'd Cole get off to?"
    "Oh, he said he wasn't feeling too good so he went up to lie down."
    "I imagine today must have been really hard for him. You told me he and his family haven't spoken in years, and I'm sure he misses them, especially on the holidays."
    Michael felt like an ass. Here he was, licking his wounds, when the man he loved may be hurting. "Yeah, maybe you're right."
    "Of course I'm right. I'm your mother." She patted his knee and rose to her feet. "Now, Ang and Eli and I are heading over to your Aunt Carol's house for our annual post-feast poker tournament. We'll be back in a few hours."
    "You want me to come with you?"
    "No. I wouldn't dare expose Cole to your Aunt Carol just yet. Besides, I'm sure you two could use some alone time." Michael almost missed her wink as she turned and walked away.
    ****
    "Hey," Michael knocked on the door of his room, "mind if I come in?"
    Cole was lying curled in a ball, in the center of his bed. "Yeah. Sorry. I was just going to come back down. I don't want them to think I'm being rude."
    "It's okay. They all went to my aunt's house to play cards."
    "Oh, shit, Michael. You should have gotten me. We can still go if you want."
    "It's fine. I always lose anyway." Michael sat down on the edge of the bed, his back to Cole. "Listen, I'm sorry if this was too much, too soon for you. I just thought we were both feeling the same way, and I wanted to spend the holiday with you."
    "No, sweetie." Cole scrambled to his knees next to Michael and grabbed his head between his hands turning it and forcing him to look right at him. "That's not it at all. I do feel the same way about you. I haven't spent a holiday with a family in over eight years, but I wanted to with you. It just brings up a lot of memories and feelings I wasn't prepared to deal with. God. Thanksgiving was the last holiday I had with my family."
    That small admission was like a tiny hole in the dam holding back the torrent of his emotions. Tears began to streak down Cole's face. The dam was about to break, and he just couldn't hold them back any longer today. Besides, he was with Michael. Michael was allowed inside his wall. It was safe to let down his guard and just feel. Let all the hurt and anguish wash over him. He would be there to put the pieces back together after he fell apart.
    Strong arms gathered Cole up and gently lay him back against the pillows. "I'm so sorry Cole. I was being stupid and selfish. I didn't think how hard this must be for you. Please, don't cry, baby."
    Cole flung himself across Michael's chest and sobbed, clinging to him like a child with his teddy bear. When the tide finally ebbed, he felt relieved of all its weight. His voice