Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 9

us."
    "Well, I kept going over and over everything in my head and the one thing I kept coming back to was my family. And they're as much your family as mine now too. They love you nearly as much as I do. Anyway, my family has always been extremely important to me, and now that my dad's gone, I feel like they depend on me."
    "You know I love them too, but they'll always be our family no matter where we live. I just…. I want us to be a family, you and me. I want to live the life that makes us happiest. I know how much you love Philadelphia and the beach. And we have great friends here. I feel like you hold yourself back in Ohio, like it's the other way around and you're the one who depends on your family as a safety blanket or an excuse not to put yourself out there."
    Michael tried really hard not to get defensive and angry at Cole's accusations, especially since a big part of him knew he was right. If he had loved Cole any less, he would never have been able to say to him, "I can see your point. I've always been so close to them, and when my dad died, it was just so sudden. I never told you this, but I didn't leave the house for three weeks afterward. I was terrified something would happen to my mom or my sister, and I wouldn't be there. I don't want to go through that again, Cole."
    "I know, baby. I know. But you can't put your life on hold out of fear. We can't control what happens, but we can spend every day living life to its fullest. I know your dad would be proud of you, and he'd want you to be happy."
    "Ugh. You sound like my mom. She keeps asking me what I'm waiting for."
    "What are you waiting for, Michael?"
    "I don't know, Cole. I really don't. Will you wait for me to figure it out?"
    Cole reached out to Michael and pulled him close, resting his head on his shoulder. "Yeah. I'll wait," he whispered. "I love you."
    ****
    "Who the hell thought it was a good idea to move in the middle of July," Cole whined as he dropped the last box in the bedroom. Strong, sweaty arms wrapped around his waist and a heavy chest pressed against his damp back.
    "Well, we could have waited for cooler weather, but I was under the impression you were in a hurry to have your super-hot boyfriend all to yourself."
    Cole covered Michael's arms with his own and leaned his head back against his shoulder. "True. I do have a super-hot boyfriend."
    "I don't know. Mine's pretty hot too."
    "Literally. How about we take a nice, cool shower and order some Chinese. We have the whole week to work on unpacking this stuff."
    "Sounds like a plan to me. You call and order the food while I get cleaned up." Michael grabbed a change of clothes and headed toward the bathroom. He laid the clean clothes next to the sink and went to turn around to start the water. His eyes caught the sight of his toothbrush standing in the holder next to Cole's. A warm smile crossed his face as he thought to himself, This is it. I'm home.
    He let the cool water fall over him as he stood there and remembered the moment it had hit him. He was driving home after Cole's birthday when he passed the sign announcing he had crossed into Ohio. Thank god , he thought, I can't wait to get back to mom's house. He nearly drove off the highway when he realized what he had just done. It wasn't his house anymore. It was his mom's. He'd left his heart, his home, behind him in New Jersey.
    He pulled off at the next rest stop and called Cole. "You were wrong," he told Cole. "It wasn't fear holding me back. It was hope. I've been hoping all my life to find what my parents had. Their love made it home. I love you, Cole. You're my home. I'm moving to Jersey."
    It'd taken him nearly two months to organize his company, find a rental office in Philadelphia, and pack his things, but he was finally here. "What are you thinking about?" Cole asked as he stepped into the shower. "You look like you're concentrating."
    "Just thinking about the past year. It was exactly a year ago today, you know, that I met this sexy, funny guy on the beach, wearing a pair of Jaws swimming trunks. And now I'm living with him in his— our —home."
    "Yeah. Had I known I was going to meet the man of my dreams that day, I would have went with my Speedo."
    "I wouldn't have liked you nearly as much. Now let's get out of here so you can feed me. I'm starving."
    They ate their take out sitting at the breakfast bar in their underwear. Just because they could. When their stomachs finally were full, after the hard day's work,