“Because your own understanding…”
“…is whatgaveme the fucking nightmares.”
“Your grandpa said that?”
“Well, no. With a nuclear weapon at his head, my grandpa wouldn’t have said ‘fuck’, but he did say all the rest.”
“And you’re saying…”
“Put your faith in me,” Joshua begged again. “Please.” He cradled Colin’s face between his palms and kissed him. “I love you,” he whispered. “And I will protect all the things you cherish.” He kissed Colin again. “Includingme.”
Colin bowed his head and cradled Joshua’s body in his arms, holding him close until sleep overtook them.
* * *
Due in nosmall part to the University of Virginia’s massive marketing campaign,Autumn’s Prideopened to a sold-out house. While they waited for the curtain to rise, Colin, Joshua, along with their good friends Trent Peterson and Jeff Kerry, fidgeted in their second-row seats, keeping one eye peeled for David, who had gone backstage to talk to Nate.
“Jeez,” Colin muttered, craning his neck to see to the back of the theater. “The damned place is full!”
“Nate said they were SRO tonight,” Jeff informed him, then peered toward a small side door leading backstage. “Where the hellishe? The curtain’s about to go up!”
As they watched, David slipped through the door and moved to his spot between the two couples. He fell into his seat and then leaned over his knees, the fingers of both hands pressed to his temples. “Sheesh! It’s a freaking madhouse back there!”
Colin and Trent burst into laughter, but Joshua immediately turned to David. “Is Nate OK? Do you want Colin to go back and talk to him?”
“I’mnotgoing back there,” Colin protested between snickers. “Are you kidding? It’s his opening night on Broadway.Lethim freak out. It’ll make for a better story later on.” He snickered again and reached to give David’s arm a gentle punch. “Are you OK, Professor?”
David blew out a long breath. “I’m fine.”
“Once the curtain goes up, they’ll all be fine,” Trent told him.
“They’re just worried about the critics,” Jeff chimed in.
“Nope,” David replied. “The critics reviewed the final dress rehearsal last week. Unfortunately, the play ends too late for them to review the opening night performance. They’d never make their deadlines.”
“Do they know what the critics said?” Jeff asked.
“They’ll have to get it with tonight’s papers.”
Joshua nudged Colin with an elbow. “Oh, stop snickering.”
“Honey, if you can’t see the humor in this, you’re not getting enough enjoyment out of life.” He leaned closer to Joshua. “I’m laughing because I know he’ll be annoying the hell out of us tomorrow, crowing about his huge success on Broadway.”
“And feeling silly as hell for being so panicked?”
“Exactly.”
“Shhh,” David whispered. “Curtain going up.”
As the story on the stage built and grew upon itself, the audience watched in rapt amazement as Nate’s protagonist moved from being a vain and selfish egomaniac to a broken shell of a human being lost in hopeless despair and finally to a man experiencing a triumph, love, and renewal that healed him in ways far beyond the physical. Joshua felt the audience move from anger to pity and finally exultant joy. The emotion in the theater was palpable, and Joshua drew in a deep breath.Colin might be right, he thought to himself.We may lose Nate. This play is going to be a huge success.
A wave of exhaustion washed over him, and he leaned against his husband. Colin shot him a glance and then murmured, “Told you.” before reaching to touch David’s arm. “After tonight, there’ll be no living with him.”
David’s mouth quirked to one side, and he shrugged. “It won’t change a thing.”
Colin replied with a skeptical grimace, and David smiled. “Colin, nothing on earth could lure Nate away from the girls and me.Nothing. That man adores his step-daughters.”
When the final act drew to a close, the audience surged to its feet with a thunderous roar, applauding and cheering. The cast assembled at the head of the thrust stage to accept their tribute, obviously overjoyed by the enthusiastic response. As they bowed in appreciation, an audience member shouted: “Author!” The single cry soon became a clamor, then a loud chorus, all calling out for Nate’s presence.
