Tales of the City 07 - Michael Tolliver Lives

leaves for Mesa Verde.”
    I thought for a moment. “Okay, then…sweet potatoes.”
    “Kinda boring,” said Ben. “And we did that last year.”
    “Did we?” I had no memory of that whatsoever.
    Ben smiled at me indulgently.
    “Hey,” I said, “some guys my age can’t remember the seventies. You’re getting off real easy with sweet potatoes.” (Faulty memory aside, I love the fact that we’re starting to repeat ourselves, settling into comfy familial rituals.) “What about a green bean casserole?” Ben offered.
    “No, wait! The brussels sprouts with maple syrup! Nobody’s had that one, for sure.”
    “There’s a reason for that,” said Ben.
    “Okay. Fine.”
    Ben leaned into me, nuzzling my neck. “Don’t be hurt, honey. It was a noble effort.” He threaded his fingers through mine as we gazed up at the perfect cerulean sky. “Hey…the nipple toys have arrived from eBay.”
    “And the swallows have come back to Capistrano.”
    He laughed. “You’re gonna love ’em.”
    “They’re from eBay? They’re used nipple toys?”
    “C’mon.” Ben tugged my nipple through my polo shirt. “That would run you a whole lot more.”
    I chuckled. “You’re right. There’s probably heavy bidding on celebrity nipple toys.”
    “Speaking of which,” said Ben. “Shawna’s gonna be on The Daily Show next week.”
    I laughed sourly. “Nice segue.”
    “Isn’t that great, though? She called all excited while you were in the shower. From a bar in Chelsea. She’s asked Mary Ann to be in the audience.”
    I felt a tinge of jealousy, I have to admit. “Has she even seen Shawna’s website?”
    “I would presume. Or she’s boning up on it as we speak.”
    “It’s her husband who’s boning up on it.”
    Ben scolded me with a smile. “Don’t be a fussy old uncle.”
    We lay there silently, watching a pair of ravens circle the old cypress in a neighbor’s yard. Ben says that ravens mate for life, so it’s always nice when they offer us their blessing. Looking at them, Ben gave my belly a Buddha rub, a gesture that still makes me self-conscious, as much as I love being loved in my entirety.
    “You know what I’d like to do today?” he said.
    “What?”
    “I’d like you to take me to Barbary Lane.”
    “There’s nothing to see, sweetie. There must be three planks left from the old house.”
    “I just wanna see the lane. It’s a perfect day for it, and I’ve never even climbed those steps.”
    “Okay, then…sure. We can eat lunch in North Beach.”
    “Should we take Anna with us?”
    I shook my head. “The steps are too much for her. And she says she’d rather remember it the way it was.”
    Ben took that in for a moment. “They’re the same steps, though, right?”
    “Actually, no. They replaced them just after I left.”
    “Oh.”
    “They look the same, though. They’re almost as rickety now.”
    As I spoke these words I was gazing at the old cypress. It was over a century old and its limbs were elaborately trussed with steel cables to keep them from snapping in a high wind. Like a lot of the cypresses in Golden Gate Park, this one was nearing the end of its cycle. (I confess that I sometimes make bets with it as to which one of us will outlast the other, which one will remain king of the hill.) I looked over at my husband and reminded myself for the umpteenth time that his youth was not contagious. It would certainly make the journey more pleasant, but it wouldn’t save me from my destination. He had once offered me thirty years, but I’d happily settle for twenty. Hell, this day alone was enough for now.
    And more than I’d ever expected.

About the Author
    Armistead Maupin is the author of Tales of the City , More Tales of the City , Further Tales of the City , Babycakes , Significant Others , Sure of You , Maybe the Moon , and The Night Listener . Three television miniseries starring Olympia Dukakis and Laura Linney were made from the first three Tales novels. The Night Listener became a feature film starring Robin Williams and Toni Collette. Maupin lives in San Francisco with his husband, Christopher Turner.
    www.ArmisteadMaupin.com
    Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.

ALSO BY ARMISTEAD MAUPIN
    N OVELS
    Tales of the City
    More Tales of the City
    Further Tales of the City
    Babycakes
    Significant Others
    Sure of You
    Maybe the Moon
    The Night Listener
    C OLLECTIONS
    28 Barbary Lane
    Back to Barbary