Calloway We woke late on Christmas morning—not late by most people’s standards, but ten past eight was nearly decadent for the two of us. Morning light pressed softly against the edges of the curtains, pale and diffused, like it, too, had decided to sleep in. I lay...

Fraser The world stopped for a breath. Calloway’s eyes were wide and steady, full of fear and certainty all at once. Like the words had surprised even him by tumbling out, but he had no intention of taking them back. "I love you." He’d said it softly. No grand...

Calloway It had been a week since the phone call with my mother, and something in me had settled. Not everything, of course. There were still moments where the echo of her voice tried to creep back in, offering doubts in the form of concern, clinging like the last...

Fraser The first snow of winter arrived two weeks later, transforming Forestville into something out of a Christmas card. Fat flakes drifted past the kitchen window as I nursed my second cup of coffee, watching the world turn white and quiet. My leg ached with the...

Calloway The day after Thanksgiving, Forestville had returned to its familiar quiet. A delicate frost coated the streets, making the sidewalks glisten and the windows fog over just enough to lend a cozy feel to the inside world. I spent the morning tucked away in...

Fraser Thanksgiving morning dawned cold and bright, the kind of day that felt like frost, family time, and football. Inside the Sunshine Corner, it was warm with the scent of turkey, roasting vegetables, and fresh bread. Ennio Frant, the owner and chef, had opened...

Calloway The moment the door closed behind Fraser, the protective walls I'd spent years constructing felt all too fragile. I’d thought I was safe, that I had protected myself to prevent from ever getting so deeply hurt ever again. And yet here I was. Alone in the...

Fraser The call came while I was admiring the backsplash in my kitchen, which I had just finished replacing. The old one had been some vague mustard-yellow that had reminded me of vomit, and now I had a gorgeous white and dark blue pattern that matched the shade of...

Calloway The weight of Fraser on top of me, solid and warm and real, sent electricity through every nerve ending. My body, dormant for so long, had awakened with a vengeance. Every kiss, every touch, every breath against my skin felt magnified, like I was...

Fraser The Friday night after the storm, I stood in front of my bathroom mirror trying to tame my beard into something presentable. At least I didn’t have to worry about my hair, one of the benefits of being bald. Back when I’d discovered my hair was thinning...

Calloway My phone rang at exactly nine o'clock that Sunday morning after the storm, like it had every Sunday for the past few years. I stared at it from across the room, my coffee mug frozen halfway to my lips, and let it go to voicemail. I knew who it was. I knew...