I couldn’t help but smile as I watched Gabriel and Cooper running around and laughing as the chicken dodged them. After a minute, a voice beside me said, “You’re crazy about him, aren’t you?”
I turned to Zachary, who’d taken a seat beside me, and said, “He’s absolutely everything to me.”
“After just two weeks?”
“After about five years. That first year, he was my port in the storm, my best friend, and the only reason I could find to keep going most days. Then for the last four years, he was the person I thought about every day, longed for, and never gave up on. Two weeks ago, he became my miracle.”
Zachary seemed surprised. “You really put it all out there, don’t you?”
“Not with everyone. But I know you mean the world to him, so I want to be totally up front with you.”
His dark eyes studied me for a few moments, and then he admitted, “I really didn’t know what to expect from you. You’re different than the type of man he usually dates, and I was surprised when he told me you’d gotten together. You seem like a good guy though, so I hope it works out for you.”
“What’s his usual type, someone like Roger?”
Zachary shrugged. “I guess so. He usually goes for older men. He’s drawn to caretakers, but then…”
He stopped talking, probably because he was afraid of saying too much, so I finished for him. “But then he resents it when they actually take care of him.”
“Basically.”
I asked, “If you had one piece of advice for me, what would it be?”
“Never betray his trust. That’s everything to Gabriel,” he said. “I suppose that’s true for everyone, but him especially.”
“I think that’s a side effect of battling addiction and coming out the other side. Trust means more to us than most people. I really believe that. Maybe it’s because we’ve had to learn to trust ourselves, so we realize how absolutely vital it is.”
“You may be right.” After a pause, he said, “I don’t know how much Gabriel told you about me, but my husband and I are both former addicts. That means TJ understands me in a way few people can. I think the fact that you and Gabriel have a similar history is a good thing, because you can support each other the same way we do.”
“Thanks, Zachary.”
“Why are you thanking me?”
“Two reasons,” I said. “First, for giving me a chance, instead of immediately writing me off as some dumb kid who’s not good enough for your friend. Second and most importantly, thanks for being such a wonderful friend to Gabriel. I was so worried about him the last four years, but now I know he had you in his life, and that means a lot.”
Zachary tried to downplay it by saying, “I did what any friend would do.”
“Yeah, you know, most people don’t buy their friends cars to make sure they’re not too isolated during their recovery. It takes a special person to go above and beyond like that.”
He grinned a little, even though he was clearly embarrassed by my praise. Then he tilted his head in the direction Gabriel, Cooper, and the chicken had run off in and changed the subject with, “Why don’t you go see what your man is doing? I have a feeling you’re missing something cute right now.”
He was right. I left the main part of the building and found Gabriel at the end of a long hallway. He had the sweetest smile on his face as he leaned against a doorframe and watched Cooper, who was in a cozy little reading nook in the far corner of a classroom. The little boy sat on a beanbag with one arm around Loco, reading her a children’s book. It really seemed like the chicken was paying attention and looking at the pictures on the page.
Gabriel whispered, “Isn’t that the cutest thing you’ve ever seen?” I kissed his shoulder, and when he leaned against me, I wrapped my arms around him. Then he asked, just as quietly, “Do you ever think about becoming a dad?”
“It’s something I can imagine in the distant future, maybe in ten years, but I’m definitely not ready now. What about you?”
“Same. I love kids, but it’s something to consider way down the road, not now.”
I nuzzled his hair and said, “You know, your friends are pretty amazing.”
“They are. It’s astonishing how much they’ve accomplished. Just look at Christian and Shea with this art center. They’re really making a difference in people’s lives.”
“I noticed Christian’s scar. Is he okay?”
“He is now,” Gabriel said. “He had a brain tumor that almost killed him, but after a successful operation he’s been doing great. He actually founded the art center because he thought he was going to die, so this place was meant to be his legacy. Now it’s his life’s work, that and painting.”