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"Wrath is going to be late"

Saxton swung around Blay was standing in the doorway and dressed for guard duty, his clothes casual, his loose, zip-up fleece hiding all kinds of weapons His red hair was still damp, as if he, too, had just arrived from his home, and the cherry Danish in his hand took Saxton back to Sunday evenings when they’d just woken up

But it was extraordinary

The appearance of the male, the recollection of their past, carried no pain Not even nostalgia, really It was rocery list of prosaic events Saxton had lived, like when he’d bought a new suit from his tailor, or the last time he himself had had a Danish here at the Audience House…or even the fact that, yes, indeed, his own hair was also a little wet

The absence of complication was a peacefulness that he drank in

Saxton took the piece of toast out of his et out of--" He stopped there "Anyway We’ve got a full docket What’s his arrival tied and finished his last bite "I’ understanding I guess George threw up his breakfast, so Wrath is calling in a vet to "

"Oh, no" Saxton patted around for his phone "I should call the house--no, wait I don’t want to interrupt Nothing can happen to that dog--"

"Nothing can happen to that dog"

They both laughed And then Blay got serious

"Listen, rateful for what you and…Ruhn…have done for Minnie I guess you’ve taken care of those developers? Minnie is such a wonderful fe Mahmen and Dad You kno my mahmen is She’s a worrier"

Saxton went around and sat down "You have the two best parents I have ever met"

"They love you"

"And I love them"

There was a quiet moment

"I’m really happy for you and Ruhn, by the way," Blay said softly "And I hope that doesn’t sound weird It’s not meant to be, I swear"

"I, ah, I didn’t know anyone else are of us Not that I was deliberately keeping it a secret or anything"

"Minnie told my parents"

Saxton took a deep breath And then he reached for his travel , slid the top over, and took a sip The coffee was just the way he liked it, sweet and not too harsh

Somehow, the fact that Ruhn had made it seemed to put the male here in this room

"May I be honest?" Saxton said

"Always Please"

He looked up at his old lover "I’m happy for me, too It’s been hard"

Blay came a little farther into the room "I know it has been I didn’t kno to help, what to do I hated seeing you hurting like that It just killed ht I did a pretty good job at that"

"But I know you"

"Yes, you do" Saxton ran his finger up and down thehim Ruhn, that is At all I didn’t think I would ever…feel like this again, and it changes everything He is--okay, fine, it sounds corny, but he’sand it’s terrifying soht me such joy and happiness"

"It only takes an instant," Blay ht switch Click, and then there is illumination everywhere"

"Yes That’s it" Saxton found hi about leaving, you know"

"Caldwell? You were?"

"I didn’t have a lot to look forward to Iup all this"--he reat distraction But when it started running right and was less dean to drift The harbor appears to have presented itself once ay?"

"He didn’t, either"

Blay chuckled a little "You can be irresistible I know this firsthand"