The Magic Shop

Epilogue II

Intro Author's Note: Hello everyone. I apologize that this chapter took so long to compose and post. I know I had been posting two to three chapters a day consistently for weeks before this point. The last chapter I posted was five days ago, so it's obviously been longer than expected. I have been busier this week, so it has kept me distracted from writing this chapter. Plus, this is the final chapter of this story, so I wanted to make sure it came out perfect before I submitted it for publication. This might be the longest chapter I’ve submitted so far, though I don’t know that for sure. The final flashback chapter may be longer, but I don’t have the exact word counts to compare.

Still, this took longer than that other chapter did to write, especially since this didn’t feel finished when I first drafted it. When I was done writing this the first time, something about it felt incomplete. It took me time to look it over, but I think this is the best it’s going to end up. My general rule of thumb for writing chapters is to write once and read back three times before submitting. It’s been a good policy for the most part, though I only reread the final flashback chapter twice before submitting it. I do notice some typos and grammatical errors reading chapters back from time to time after submitting them to this site. So goes life, especially since I wanted to submit chapters on a regular basis. Hopefully, the mistakes I've made didn’t detract from the story too much.

I have had such a great time writing the adventures of Freddy and Michael. Though they aren’t my original creations, I feel that, as I took over the original branch of the story many months ago, I have developed these characters to fit more of my own personality. I see parts of myself in both men, though I won’t say which. Besides the two main characters, the old man in the magic shop, Josh and Freddy’s parents, I have created every other character from scratch.

It has been a blast to lose myself in this world of fantasy. I originally didn’t think I would have written this continuation of the story so soon. When I submitted the first Epilogue many months ago, which seems like an eternity now, I didn’t expect that I’d be writing this next part so soon after completing the first one. I had expected it would take many years before I would write again. The coronavirus, which continues to exact its toll on our world, presented an opportunity to write this continuation of the story earlier than I had originally expected. I originally thought I wouldn't write this story until the time of the main flashbacks; 2026. However, I'm happy to have completed this much sooner than anticipated, as I hope you all agree.

It has been a pleasure to allow the characters to speak to me and through me to you. As I have typed up this story, it’s been fun to let the characters words speak for themselves. In a weird way, though I am the author, the characters are their own individuals. As I’ve written this out, I have allowed them to speak in their own voices when drafting dialogue and their reactions to events in the story.

I know it is cliche to say, but over time, I have really become attached to these characters. For the first time in my life, I actually cried upon completing a chapter; the final flashback in 2026. It has been tough to say goodbye to these characters. The story is now coming to a close, but it has been an honor and privilege to share their journeys with you all.

I’d once again like to thank the original authors of this branch of the magic shop story for their original contributions. This process has taken longer than last time, because I had to start it all from scratch. The last time, I had the ability to branch off of earlier chapters that were already written, which lessened the amount that I needed to write in order to finish it to the end. Though this took something like 35 days write this, I'm really impressed with how quickly it was completed; especially considering I know this is much longer than the first story.

When loading up all the chapters from both stories on one page, the first part of the story only takes up a third of the page. This second story is twice as long, at least. I don’t know how much the original authors read of this second story, but I know for a fact that they saw a few chapters from the first one. I hope they’ve liked what I’ve done with Freddy and Michael. I hope I made them proud. Without them, this story would not be possible to have written and completed to the end.

I have more to say later, but it contains some spoilers. I think it’s best to read my final thoughts after you've finished this final chapter of the story. Without further ado, here is the final chapter of this adventure of Freddy and Michael's, which concludes in the second epilogue.

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On a cold morning in January, for California standards anyway, the Channel 8 News covered Freddy Benson’s swearing in ceremony. Here was a transcript of the broadcast from that day:

“Good morning everyone, this is Brian Muller, your morning anchor here at Channel 8 News, with special, live coverage of the inauguration and swearing in ceremony of the town’s new mayor, Freddy Benson. It’s all the more remarkable considering the turn of events that led us to this point. Some say that it shouldn’t have happened at all, but the voters have spoken and a new mayor is about to lead for the first time in eight years. To help us recap the very bizarre twists and turns that have led us to today’s events, here’s Al’ice Mumangari with a summary of the last year in local politics.”

Images of Freddy Benson showed up on screen, with a voiceover of Al’ice that began soon after.

“Today is a day most said would never happen.”

“I can’t believe this is happening” an exasperated old woman said on camera.

“It’s amazing what this town has devolved into” an old man said on camera.

“But the day that many feared has finally arrived” Al’ice continued. “In an upset, some say by sheer luck and mysterious circumstances that have yet to be explained, Freddy Benson is about to do what some said was impossible. Just this time last year, the chances were nearly zero. Now, he’s about to be sworn in as the new mayor of this town.

“Freddy Benson, the 38 year old former public defender, whose campaign rocked the political establishment to its core, pulled the upset of the century this past November, when he defeated the former mayor, Devin Marymount, in the most stunning victory in many, many years. How we got to this point could be seen as even crazier than the actual result of the last election.”

A video of Freddy’s initial news conference from the prior January, taken on the courthouse steps, played in the background with Al’ice’s voiceover.

“This time last year, Freddy Benson gathered an assembled group of reporters to announce what many said was a quixotic, if inevitably fruitless, endeavor.”

“My name is Freddy Benson and I am announcing my intention to run for mayor this fall” he said in the clip.

“During that initial press conference is when the signs of his controversial, yet ultimately successful campaign, began to show. From the outset, Freddy Benson made it clear that he was running to take on the political establishment, at whatever cost he would have to pay for doing so.”

“Our lives are held hostage to a corrupt mayor’s office that looks to use its police force as a revenue generator for the politicians, rather than a force to protect us and our civil liberties. Our police force uses the power of a mafia like union to scare politicians into allowing them to commit gross displays of brutality and corruption on a regular basis.”

“Those words set off the starting bell of a war between Freddy Benson and nearly every political leader in town.”

A video of the arrest of Devin Little played on screen.

“Angry with the arrest of then 15 year old Devin Little, Freddy Benson took out his communication device and filmed the routine police encounter. What followed changed his life and the direction of this town forever.”

The video of Freddy getting tackled to the ground by the police was shown on screen.

“After being arrested and charged with ‘undermining the authority of the police,’ which was later dismissed, Freddy Benson made it his mission to run for the mayor. Even though the chances of victory were virtually non existent at the time, he still believed it was a race worth fighting for.”

“Devon’s parents have already said that if this treatment by the police doesn’t stop, then they are thinking about moving away” Freddy said in an interview with Jessica Chango. “This is not the town I grew up in. We can be better than this. I hope, if I’m elected mayor, that I can reverse this trend and make our community a place where everyone can live free of racist harassment by the police and elected officials.”

“Initially, it seemed like his campaign was a bit of a joke. His early attempts at winning over voters, on a shoestring budget, involved going into town and talking to voters face to face.”

Various clips of voters turning away Freddy Benson appeared on screen.

“Those efforts” she continued “were not so successful. Undaunted by the lack of polling viability early on, Freddy Benson continued with his campaign, even if his efforts did not initially pay off. Early in the race, Freddy Benson’s polling numbers stayed around just 5% to the incumbent mayor’s 95%. The incumbent was on an almost assured path to reelection on election day, especially in what was seen as a high turnout, presidential election year. So some political observers said it surprised them at the time that the mayor’s office went on the attack against Freddy Benson so early in the race.”

“I think the former mayor’s fatal mistake was attacking Freddy Benson when he posed no threat to him” a political advisor said on camera. “By giving him all of that negative coverage, rather than ignoring him, it created sympathy in the minds of a key segment of voters and undermined the trust in the press’ independence in the process.”

“Headlines like ‘Communist wannabe challenges incumbent mayor in deluded campaign,’ along with attacks that he was anti-cop and a marxist, helped to bring much needed attention and publicity to his political efforts, gaining sympathy from voters along the way.”

“Whoever in his staff suggested that he have Douglas Ron go on the offensive like that, so soon out of the gate, should never work in politics again.”

“Not every political analyst agreed with this analysis. Others we spoke to said that, on the heels of what was considered a disastrous, if publicity raising interview with our own Jessica Chango, the mayor had to act early to set the narrative, before Freddy Benson had the chance to create a first impression in the minds of voters.”

“Although that interview was seen as a total disaster” another analyst said on camera “it wasn’t completely taken that way by the voters.”

“Initial instant polling at the time showed a relatively split reaction amongst voters, rather than a universally negative response. Some said they agreed with him on the issues, while others thought the mayor needed a good challenge to force him to back off from some of his own policies. These twin factors were seen as threats that needed to be suppressed, before they grew into a bigger problem later on down the road.”

“Freddy Benson was never going to win over every single voter in town. He just needed 50% plus one vote. Based on those initial instant polls, he had a pathway to that 50.01%. It needed to be snuffed out as soon as possible, before he could declare an upset victory on election day.”

“Others suggested that if the mayor’s team hadn’t used the power of the press to create a first impression of Freddy Benson early on, then when his poll numbers skyrocketed later on last year, he may have been leading the incumbent by a five to fifteen point margin. That early work created a ceiling; one that they say would have been insurmountable to overcome, had it not been for the mysterious events the week leading up to election day.

“In addition, many suggest that the negative polling did its job, at least at first. For the first three months of the campaign, despite Freddy Benson’s efforts to connect with voters, while lacking a formal campaign structure, there wasn’t much progress made. His polling numbers remained at just 5%, while his negative approval ratings remained an obstacle he could not address to help him become viable. Some suggested that he should moderate his positions, but Freddy Benson never wavered on his beliefs.”

“The reason I’m running this campaign is because of the platform I’m running on” Freddy said in a clip that was aired in February. “If I was to ‘moderate’ to become more palatable to voters, then I wouldn’t really be representing the kind of political change this town needs at the moment.”

“Freddy Benson’s insistence on staying true to his values seemed to doom any chance of his candidacy’s electoral success. That all changed during the consequential month of April. The first sign of life in his campaign was the first invitation his campaign received by a major political club to have him speak at their event. Before this, no other political club would dare host him, lest they face the wrath of the politically powerful mayor. However, the Alan Cullen political club, one that’s never been afraid to buck the establishment, if needed, invited Freddy Benson to speak to their members; the first time he made a major impression on powerful political leaders.”

Clips from the day of Freddy’s speech at the political club showed up on screen.

“That day started off on a high note. Freddy Benson, in a nicely tailored suit and clean cut appearance, spoke to the assembled crowd of political leaders and volunteers. Initially, he made strongly positive impression. Many of the members at the time said that, had it not been for what followed half way through his speech, he could have won the club’s endorsement right there on the spot. In the middle of his speech, Freddy Benson’s husband, Michael Scavolini, suddenly dragged him off the podium and to the backstage area. He was not seen from again at that event.

“What followed was Michael Scavolini suddenly leaving the event, chasing after a mysterious dog, one that became a central figure in the race. Causing pandemonium as they fled the event, eye witness accounts mentioned that Michael Scavolini had followed after a man named Tom Matthews to a pawn shop in town. The man had taken the dog in his possession and an argument of its ownership followed for many months. The man, refusing to sell a ring in his possession, claimed that Michael Scavolini tried to steal it from him, before he hid himself inside the store. It was then that Michael Scavolini allegedly stole the dog in question, but it has never been spotted by anyone else, until it showed up again just weeks before election day.

“Who did seem to follow Michael Scavolini to his vehicle led to a bizarre incident, captured in photos that would be shared around the world. On The Sunny News website the following morning, photos were published of what appeared to be Freddy Benson running naked in public. The images, claimed at the time to be authentic, showed the mayoral aspirant running towards his husband, Michael Scavolini, before the two of them made their way into a car parked in the town’s municipal lot.

“The photos created a largely negative reaction to the press amongst voters, even among those that had strongly negative feelings towards Freddy Benson. Instant polling taken at the time suggested that voters questioned the authenticity of the photos, something that Douglas Ron, the owner of The Sunny News and multiple other media outlets around the world, stands by.

“Those photos were 100% authentic” Douglas Ron said gruffly on camera. “My organization stands by their authenticity and would welcome a lawsuit by Benson, if he wants to prove they are false. The fact that he has never sued us, despite frequent urging by many, shows that he knows we’d win a defamation suit and that he was naked in public on that day.”

“Freddy Benson’s campaign claimed that they didn’t want to waste time addressing the photos, especially when most voters already dismissed them. His priority, they said, was was preparing to take office. Still, the fact that they have never been throughly proven as fake will haunt his reputation for the rest of his career. This was all the most surprising, considering what immediately followed the publication of the photos.

“The town’s mayoral race got a worldwide bit of publicity when Diya Ramesh, founder of the social media giant iThink, donated a staggering $2.75 million to Freddy Benson’s campaign. It was the first time that she had ever made a political donation, so the event in and of itself was newsworthy. Where she put her money and why set up an international discussion on race relations in America and political corruption. The windfall for Freddy Benson’s campaign was instantaneous; many say to an extent that made him the new frontrunner.”

“Diya Ramesh’s donation changed the game” a political analyst said on camera. “That was where Benson’s quixotic campaign became a serious threat.”

“The money opened up a new spotlight in a way that the political establishment would never have anticipated. The mayor’s previous actions and spending while in office came under greater scrutiny by the public. Many said that some of his activities could open him up to investigation by federal authorities. Even if he managed to win reelection, his chances of holding higher office afterwards seemed dead in the water.

“Freddy Benson became a progressive icon overnight, attracting millions of devoted fans and their dollars. His fundraising capabilities greatly expanded and he hired a team of advisors that helped counter the surge of negative press his campaign had received. A consequence of this was that our own Channel 8 News saw a significant drop in support by the town’s residents, along with the other members of the traditional media.

“But the donation came at a financial and personal cost for Diya Ramesh. Upon news of her donation hitting the internet, the stock of iThink crashed overnight. A ten year rise, one that once seemed unstoppable, came tumbling down in an instant. Diya’s vow of apolitical spending was broken and on such a divisive candidate. Many saw her excuses for supporting him as hollow. Her popularity plunged and her personal brand took a hit. She had to fight off an attempt by the board of directors to be thrown out of her role as CEO, before she used her veto power to fire two board members for actions she claimed damaged the company in a time of crisis.

“The biggest hit to her reputation, one she claimed that spiteful board members took against her, were the leaks to Douglas Ron’s national news website about Freddy Benson’s husband, Michael Scavolini. They gave the world a first hand account of his early and previously unknown involvement in the founding of the company. The website claimed that the two developed the initial beta site for iThink together. Before the company went public, Diya unceremoniously removed Michael from his position and stripped him of credit for his contributions to the early development of the platform.

“The news caused a significant amount of damage to Diya Ramesh’s personal legacy and the company’s reputation around the world. Many accused her of being a snake. They said that throwing her best friend out at a vulnerable moment in his life, the dying days of his father, and erasing his contributions forever, were the signs of someone not worthy of respect. Though not every alleged contribution was revealed in the leak, according to a source, which some believed was Michael Scavolini himself, much of it was added to the public record. iThink denies the story to this day. However, Michael Scavolini has not made any comment on the report and iThink has never proven that the information leaked to Douglas Ron was false.

“Though Douglas Ron strongly hinted at Michael Scavolini being the leaker, Michael has denied this accusation and Diya Ramesh did not buy into that argument, according to a source. When questioned by the board of directors. she responded by removing two board members she accused of being allies of Douglas Ron and used their prior dealings with his organizations as proof of her claims. The two fired board members have since sued iThink to be reinstated, but the case has so far made no progress in the courts.

“The following six months were a whirlwind of activity in the race. Freddy Benson used his giant boost to gather up a volunteer army of young, eager college students. During the summer break, they happily pounded the pavement and knocked on doors. Their efforts, plus the efforts of his newly hired staff of advisors, to stem the tide of a barrage negative headlines, helped to give his candidacy a slow, but steady rise in the polls.”

A montage of young kids talking to voters and knocking on doors appeared on camera.

“Many of his volunteers said they were inspired by his message and his optimism for the future.”

“I really like Freddy Benson as a person” one volunteer said in the clip “and I like his policies and what he stands for.”

“He really gives me hope that things are going to get better” another volunteer said in the clip. “If Freddy Benson can pull off an upset this fall, then it gives us hope that our bottom up strategy, rather than waiting for the president to save us, will be more effective for progressive change in the long run.”

“Their tireless efforts made Freddy Benson’s candidacy formidable heading into the final weeks of the race” Al’ice continued. “By the middle of October, polling showed that Freddy Benson’s campaign was only four points behind the incumbent mayor. He was within reach of an upset on election day. The reaction from the mayor’s office was not positive in the slightest.

“In addition to the closer nature of the race, the anger of those who opposed Freddy Benson’s campaign grew louder and louder. Peter McDonough, the former, and since missing, police union leader, had tried for months to stall Freddy Benson’s campaign. He made an unsuccessful effort early on to remove Freddy Benson from the ballot, due to his supposed support of criminal activity in his role as a public defender. That argument was dismissed in court. Peter later made an attempt to replace the incumbent mayor with someone he preferred, but could not gather the signatures to get them on the ballot in time before the deadline passed. Neither of those efforts worked out, so all Peter could do was rant about it whenever a camera appeared in his peripheral.”

“We as police officers are angry with the choices we face on election day!” Peter yelled in a clip from early October. “We have an anti cop incumbent facing off against an even bigger anti cop communist. There are no good choices here, folks. This town has spat on those who have sworn to protect them. People in this town ought to be ashamed of themselves.”

“This kind of rhetoric drew violence into the race. Early on in the campaign, Freddy Benson claimed that a man threw a brick at his home. A suspect was never identified, but photos of the broken window spread online at the time. He faced intimidation while campaigning in public; seeing several close calls with men who tried to attack him. In the final weeks of the race, the threats became more serious, leading him to hire a personal bodyguard, as he claimed the police department simply refused to protect him.

“All the while, the mayor himself fended off a barrage of questions from voters about his spending priorities and his dealings in office. He angrily lashed out at voters who questioned him, something that began to make him out to be a bit of a pariah in town. The mayor also faced federal investigations into his dealings while in office. Those have since been put on hold, due to his disappearance.

“The final three weeks of the race were something of a political soap opera. First, Freddy Benson claimed that the mayor was trying to have him assassinated. Although such claims have never been verified, forensic scientists at UCLA Berkley studied a bloody t shirt that Freddy Benson’s husband, Michael Scavolini, claimed had the DNA of his husband’s assassin on it. The results from that evaulation have yet to be made public. A second attempt was allegedly made just a few days later, this time with photos shared online of the alleged assassin tied up on their bed.

“That night later turned tragic when, in the early hours of the morning, the assassinations of two police officers in a bomb attack rocked the town to its core. The residents mourned their loss, though no suspect was ever identified. The mayor and the police department blamed Freddy Benson’s anti cop rhetoric for inciting an atmosphere that led to their deaths. Freddy Benson disputed these accusations. His campaign showed images, allegedly the last ones of the two assassinated police officers alive, dragging the masked assassin down their staircase and out of their house. The photos lit up a plethora of conspiracy theories, ones that have not died down since.

“The conspiracy theorists got more ammunition in the events that followed. Just two days later, during a live webcast, Freddy Benson mysteriously disappeared again. This time, after he suddenly left the stage, gunshots were heard, causing pandemonium in the venue. Many thought he had been shot in an attempted assassination. However, after the theater was safely evacuated, Freddy Benson was nowhere to be found. This caused a fire storm, as his whereabouts began to be discussed widely around town.

“Freddy Benson was not spotted again for two days, when he was alleged by the police department to be wanted for murder of a police officer. On a day where the incumbent mayor tried to stage a political comeback, bizarre circumstances overshadowed it in the following days' headlines. After successfully luring a production company to shoot a commercial in town, featuring the dog in the center of a dispute between Michael Scavolini and his nieghbor, Tom, a high speed chase, involving dozens of police cars, ensued. The mayor's office claimed that Freddy was wanted on suspicion of murdering a police officer. They were reported to be following Freddy Benson’s vehicle throughout town. Though his presence in the car was never confirmed and the case against him has since been dropped, the mad rush led to the deaths of almost a dozen police officers and the injuries of dozens more in crashes caused by the chase.

“The day itself, which turned into a particularly spooky Halloween night, got even spookier. During a mysterious fog that covered the town, Freddy Benson reappeared, this time coinciding with the disappearance of the incumbent mayor and many other individuals. Freddy Benson denied any knowledge of his political rivals whereabouts, or any involvement in murdering a police officer, but the the last reported sighting of Devin Marymount and the vast majority of his political advisors, along with Peter McDonough, Commander Harry Mann and seventy members of the police department, was before that night. None of them have been seen or heard from since.

“An investigation into their whereabouts began at the abandoned Home Paper Good Co. warehouse, which several police officers claimed was where Freddy Benson was reported as being spotted earlier in the evening. However, when officers arrived at the scene the following morning, there was no trace that anyone had been in the building the night before. Officers at the scene claimed that they found a piece of rock that had contained blood on it. The alleged rock has since gone missing. Without this critical piece of evidence in their possession, charges of murder against Freddy Benson were found to be unsubstantiated and, hence, were dropped by the district attorney's office.

“With his only political rival out of the picture and the deadline for substituting a new one in his place completely passed, it was all but certain that Freddy Benson would pull off the upset he had long been hoping for. When election day came the following week, he won his race by a pretty considerable margin. However, despite the victory, with 70 to 30 result, a sizable chunk of voters refused to give their support to him. Others, angry at the turn of events, simply stayed home. Many suspected that, had the mayor not disappeared the week before election day, he would have held off Freddy Benson, if only by a tiny margin. However, with the former mayor, Devin Marymount's mysterious disappearance and no ability to replace him, his rival is now going to serve this town, leading it in a new direction for the first time in eight years.”

“I fear what he’s going to do to this town” a political analyst said on camera. “I know he’s going to raise taxes. I’ve already heard from voters who said that they are planning to list their homes for sale as soon as possible. There will be a mass exodus of constituents, though I suspect this is what Freddy Benson was hoping for when he ran. I think that when voters get to see his policies in action, they will have buyers remorse and support a more pro law and order candidate four years from now.”

“It remains to be seen whether his prediction comes true or not, but for now at least, the town waits on bated breath for the new day to come. The swearing in of a new mayor is just moments away. For Channel 8 News, I’m Al’ice Mumangari. Back to you in the studio, Brian.”

“Thank you Al’ice” Brian replied from his anchor desk. “As we wait for the swearing in ceremony to begin, I’d like to welcome a round table of voices to discuss the inauguration that no one saw coming. We have Jessica Chango, the reporter who conducted Benson’s first televised interview. We have Tony Straconi, the newly elected police union leader. And we have one of the political analysts in Al’ice’s wonderfully done summary of the race, Richard Schneider. Welcome to the program everyone.”

“Thank you” they replied in unison.

“So I’m warning you all that I may have to cut away from the discussion when we get word that the ceremony is about to begin. I’d like to start with Jessica Chango first. Jessica, when you interviewed Benson a year ago, did you think this day would ever come?”

“Not in a million years” she replied with a huff. “His campaign, at the beginning, was completely unprofessional. As I had mentioned at the time, he waited multiple days to grant us an interview after his initial arrest for recording the police interaction with Devin Little. Then, he made us wait two hours that Saturday morning to conduct the interview. He seemed hastily put together, unconcerned with respect for our time and just completely pie in the sky with everything he was saying to me. The odds were not in his favor, which makes this day all the more remarkable in hindsight.”

“Richard, where do you think the race turned? There were a lot of moments people can point to where this race went from a kind of silly show of publicity to something that seriously undermined the incumbent’s chances of reelection.”

“Well, for starters” he replied “you had the fact that the mayor, Devin Marymount, was trying to run for a third time. That’s a tricky feat for any politician, especially one who was never beloved. It was almost kind of inevitable that he’d face some sort of challenger, but many thought it would be from the police union and not from someone with Benson’s type of politics.

“The turning point question is difficult to answer, because there was the turning point of viability and then the turning point of success. Those two events were very far apart. The first time Benson became a serious contender was with Diya’s campaign contributions. Before that, he was riding out a lot of negative headlines and the scandal with the nude photos, which I believe were authentic, by the way. However, that donation, and at such a staggering amount, came out the right time for him. It took all the negative attention away and gave him a national following of devotees.

“That of course helped his political profile rise, but it didn’t automatically give him a pathway to victory. The mayor’s team did a tremendous job leaving a very negative impression of his rival among a key group of voters. That created a sort of ceiling that Benson could not break. If the mayor, along with a number of key power players, hadn’t disappeared so suddenly on Halloween night, there’s a good chance that the former mayor would have eked out a victory on election day.”

“Something I’m sure many voters wish had occurred, including Tony Straconi, the new police union leader. He has stepped in for Peter McDonough during his disappearance. Tony, are you upset by the way this race has turned out?”

“Certainly” he replied, more calmly than his predecessor would have been in this moment. “I think this race created an anti cop atmosphere all around. The video Freddy Benson used as his rallying cry to start his campaign was never shown from the officers perspective. It allowed this narrative to be put out there that they were targeting this kid because of his race, not because he is a troublemaker who is going to end up in prison in the future. Many say the amount of arrests was excessive, but he’s a bad kid and that’s not going to change now that the commie took office.

“The effects of his hands off the criminals approach are already being felt. We see miscreants in the street saying that they feel comfortable committing crime now that they think they’ll get away with it. We saw the district attorney just shut down the investigation into the disappearance of my former colleague, Peter McDonough, along with seventy of our finest officers. As a result of the massacre on Halloween night, which no one has been able to explain and no one will, we lost nearly our entire police force.

“The police department is already running on a shoe string budget with a bare bones staff. The remaining officers are working round the clock and have to let calls go unanswered because they're simply aren’t enough officers to send out to respond to them. We’re now dealing with a mayor who is going to cut our budget further and our town’s safety and security will suffer as a result. Hopefully, this man will teach the town a lesson of be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it.”

“How are your fellow officers feeling on this day?”

“Terribly, Brian. Only a few of the officers who were injured have come home to their families. Most of them faced injuries that will force them into an early retirement. Others are still fighting for their lives and others have psychological scars that prevent them from returning to the force. All of the officers say they feel unappreciated by this town. They question whether it’s worth it to still be a cop. I wouldn’t be surprised if they decide to quit en masse once the commie is sworn in today.”

“For the other two panelists here, Jessica, Richard, what are your predictions for how Freddy Benson’s time in office is going to go?”

“Personally” Richard replied “I think one of two things are going to occur. Either Freddy Benson will be forced to moderate his approach, in order to keep the peace with the police department, or he will be at war with them for four years. If he goes down the latter road, then it’s going to be a dangerous time and I don’t know if he’ll even be able to serve his entire term.”

“I hope not” Tony snorted out.

“Jessica?” Brian asked. “What about you?”

“My fear” she replied “is for the future of journalism. Freddy Benson took a very hostile approach to our profession from the get go. It got worse as the campaign progressed. He kept saying to his supporters that we were ‘out to get him’ and that has created a lasting impression that has hurt all of us who work in this profession. I notice in my dealings with residents for unrelated news stories that many will say I’m a ‘fake news’ harpy and some other things I won’t repeat on air. The point is that Freddy Benson is going to be more unrestrained in his attacks on the press once he’s sworn in today. I just hope our profession survives his term, however long it lasts.”

“Richard, do you predict that he might pull off a bigger upset and win another term after this?”

“I don’t think—“

“I hate to interrupt, but I’m getting word in my earpiece that the ceremony is about to begin. Our cameras will now turn live to outside the steps of town hall.”

Outside of the town hall building, a large gathering people looked up to await the arrival of Freddy Benson, the town’s newly elected mayor. The streets were full to capacity, as the police force was unable to contain the size of the crowd. Over a thousand people crowded roads and blocked traffic to witness this historic day. It was one they had all hoped for, but never expected to arrive.

A banner hung over the building that read “Congratulations Freddy Benson.” Below it was a podium set up, with the seal of the mayor’s office on the front of it. Standing to the left was a judge, ready to swear Freddy Benson into office. He was newly elected, along with the rest of the town council members who stood behind him.

Shortly after the historic election, the town council, angry at his all but assured victory, quit in masse. A part of it was out of protest, but part of it was out of fear of being investigated for their actions taken in office. The press emphasized the first part and ignored the second part. This left a dozen new openings, which Freddy filled with political advisors and other allies. He now had full control over two seats of government, along with the newly elected judge to replace the one who was already retiring.

The remaining judges stayed on, hoping to do their part to reign him in from the bench. The district attorney had also tried to stay on, but after facing a federal investigation over his misconduct while in office, resigned, with an ally of Freddy’s installed in his place. The bureaucrats at the other agencies, Adam and Dennis, the mayor’s former advisors and the former mayor’s secretary, planned to hang on, but they wouldn’t retain their jobs by the end of the day.

A temporary mayor was installed following the former mayor’s disappearance, until Freddy was sworn in to office. He made changes that he hoped would constrain Freddy’s ability to govern, but these would not last long. To the anger of many, especially the remaining police officers and the press, Freddy would be unconstrained in his agenda. How his tenure would turn out remained to be seen.

Freddy’s family stood to the right of the podium. It was the first time they had all been together in at least twenty years. Fortunately for them, it was for a joyous occasion; one they were ready to celebrate afterwards. Sitting and waiting in chairs at the top of the steps were Michael, Evan, Freddy’s parents, Josh and Michael’s mother.

Inside the town hall building, Freddy paced around the hall, repeating his speech over and over again. He wanted it to read smoothly. He wanted to win over the audience. He knew he had the support of his supporters locked up. His speech needed to be conciliatory to the half of town that still opposed him and his agenda, while also making it clear that a new direction was about to begin.

Watching his boss pace around the halls was Chris, his bodyguard. On election night, Freddy celebrated with Michael over what neither of them thought would ever happen. Though they were beyond thrilled, they both had lingering doubts about whether he would have won, had the wizard not turned the mayor’s army to ashes. The police had never been able to definitively prove that Freddy or Michael had anything to do with their mysterious disappearance. That allowed him to stay on the ballot, despite a last minute court challenge to his candidacy from the new police union leader.

Chris had been right there with them, happy that his boss has pulled off the upset he had long hoped for. He also wondered whether it would have been possible without the mayor disappearance. He also wondered what their relationship would be like if his boss had lost. Would he have been able to stay on with him in some capacity? Would he have had to look for another job? Would he have had to move out of town? Would he have been able to keep being a presence in Evan’s life? Most important of all, would he had a relationship with his boss at all after a loss?

In the midst of immense stress and the heat of passion, Chris had slept with his boss’ husband. It was an ultimate show of betrayal and it hurt him immensely. He was determined to patch things up, once his boss settled into his new job. He had a feeling he knew what he’d need to do to make things right between them, but for now, his focus was on keeping his boss safe from the threats he still faced as he assumed office.

Chris watched in awe, as Freddy fine tuned his timing of his speech. Freddy made sure every syllable and word was spoken with precision and executed with meaning and sincerity. Chris admired his ability to be a perfectionist in that way. He admired his boss' ability to inspire hope in the cynical masses. Most importantly, he admired the man who he considered a friend. A great father, a great son, a great husband and a great man.

“I consider myself to be a good man” Chris thought to himself with a smile on his face “but Freddy is a great man.”

While Freddy continued to pace around the halls, a police officer, one who had a disapproving scowl on his face, walked inside.

“They’re ready for you” he mumbled with a hint of defiance in his tone.

“Thank you” Freddy replied with a wide smile.

Freddy felt a sense of nerves take over for a moment, as he felt a pit in his stomach.

“You alright, boss?” Chris asked.

“I’m alright” Freddy replied, as his bodyguard walked over to him.

“You’re going to do great out there.”

Chris gave Freddy a big hug, as they embraced in a platonic way for a quick minute.

“Go knock them dead” Chris whispered, before he patted Freddy on the shoulders and turned him towards the door.

Nervously, Freddy walked to the door, which Chris opened for him. When he stepped outside, he saw the crowd of people cheering at his arrival. Flashing lights hit his eyes, as the ceremony was streamed live on communication devices around the world. Smiling brightly, Freddy did not let his nerves show in that moment. He briefly made his way over to Michael and gave him a quick peck on the lips. Michael smiled, before Freddy walked over to the judge.

The ceremony began with a speech from the newly elected judge. He was an ally of Freddy’s, so his speech was congratulatory and positive.

“Good morning everyone” the judge said, as he motioned for the assembled on the steps to sit in their seats. “Thank you all for coming out here today on this relatively chilly Monday morning. Our police department has estimated that this is the largest turn out for an inauguration in the town’s history.”

The crowds cheered and applauded, while the officers in the nearby area growled quietly to themselves.

“This is an historic day, one many never saw coming. This time last year was just before our town’s newly elected mayor, Freddy Benson, began his historic campaign. Many at the time doubted his chances of victory and questioned why he would bother wasting his time running. It was hopeless, many would say, including the reporters who worked for the channels airing this very inauguration live as we speak. Before they cut to this speech this morning, they were probably bitterly groaning over how someone they had been viciously attacking for the last year was now going to be in charge. I’m sure the analysis has been overwhelming negative. Based on the results of the election, we know that they are not the majority.”

The crowd cheered loudly and applauded again. Inside the Channel 8 news room, where the morning anchor Brian, along with his panel were watching the ceremony live, there was a bit of bitter grumbling from all those assembled.

“What you all proved on election day was that, in spite of the odds, in spite of the doubters, in spite of those who had threatened his life, we were able to declare victory and send this town on a new course.”

More cheers rang out from the crowd.

“I don’t want to scare those who could not be here today. I don’t want to scare those who refused to turn out to vote in protest. I don’t want to scare those who still don’t support what this great man stands for. What I will say is that for too long, those who oppose his agenda have had their chance to do better. It’s time for someone new to give it a shot.”

Further cheers rang out.

“I will not needlessly lie and say that there will be change overnight. The agenda our newly elected mayor will enact is one that many oppose. He will face much opposition and resistance from many powerful interests, including the holdovers from the prior mayor’s administration. What I would like to tell you is that, together, we can overcome their obstacles. We can overcome their roadblocks. We can overcome their allies in high places. We can overcome and we will overcome.”

The assembled crowds loudly cheered, while those seated on the steps stood up and applauded. After a minute of cheering, the judge continued after those who stood up sat back down.

“Before I do the honors of swearing Freddy Benson in as our next mayor…”

The crowd cheered out in excitement.

“I’d like to just say a quick personal word about the man who I’m proud to be standing next to today. Freddy Benson is a man above men. He was the most caring, compassionate, hardworking, dedicated and passionate public defender I ever had the privilege of knowing. He spent long hours, for many, many years, giving up his time and efforts to help the less fortunate and those who needed his support.

“Many of the clients he represented had no means of gaining other legal representation for the charges they faced. The charges they faced were serious and their odds of victory in court were bleak. Most of them proclaimed their innocence and much of them were, in fact, innocent. Freddy Benson gave his fullest attention to the facts of each case he took on as a lawyer. He made each person he represented feel like they were given his full and undivided attention. He made them feel that someone cared about them. For the first time in many of their lives, they felt they had an ally in their corner.

“Freddy Benson has a gift of gab. He has a way of talking to people that helps him stand out from many other lawyers I’ve known. He genuinely likes people. He always looks for the best in everyone, even those who he may have personally despised. Many of the people he represented weren’t always the most warm of characters. Society had rejected many of them, shunned them to obscurity and oppression. Freddy cared about everyone he represented and would work as hard as he could to give them a fighting chance.

“Many of his cases were hard and he didn’t always win every one, especially when the odds were just too great for him to overcome. However, he gave it his all every time he stood before the jury or the judge in a court room and laid out his strongest defense of the client he represented. He had a way of putting down people’s guards. He had a way of busting through their initial apprehensions. He had a way of bursting through stereotypes. He had a way of humanizing those that society had demonized, along with the district attorney’s office. He knew how to get people to see the person underneath the persona. At his core, Freddy is a man who sees the person on the inside and the beauty in all of us.

“For twelve years, Freddy did this job valiantly. When he moved to this town more than a decade ago, he commuted almost three hours every day to make sure he could continue to serve Sacramento’s most vulnerable. In his time in this capacity, he saved thousands of people from guilty convictions and hundreds from severe, life sentences. Many clients, their families and friends, owe him a great deal of gratitude and thanks for the work he did on their behalf. So many are grateful for what he had done to give their loved ones a fighting chance of freedom and vindication in the court of law.

“That chapter of his life has now closed and a new one is about to begin. With the same passion he gave the communities he served in Sacramento, he is going to serve each and every single one of you here today with the same dedication he gave his clients. He’s ready to make big changes, but at his core, he knows what the job of a small town mayor entails. He’ll talk to constituents who need his help on a face to face basis. He’ll make sure issues are addressed. He’ll be the voice who will take care of issues when those who live here have them.

“He will open his office doors for people to speak their minds. He will not hide away from those who challenge him or his agenda. He will serve as a public servant, with respect and love for this community and all who reside here. A new day is here in this beautiful town. A brand new day has finally arrived.”

The crowd cheered wildly, as the judge concluded his remarks. He motioned Freddy over to him. Chris stood closely behind, while Michael got up from his seat to join his husband at the podium. The judge held out a bible, which Freddy put his left hand on. Michael had begged his husband to use a different book, but Freddy wanted to stick to tradition. His tenure would already be radical enough for many in the community. He saw this as an olive branch, hoping to garner a semblance of respect from his opponents.

Freddy raised his right hand, as the judge read the oath of office.

“I do solemnly swear.”

“I do solemnly swear” Freddy repeated.

“That I, Freddy Benson”

“That I, Freddy Benson”

“Will support and defend this town”

“Will support and defend this town”

“Against all threats and those who wish to do us harm.”

“Against all threats and those who wish to do us harm.”

“Without reservation.”

“Without reservation.”

“I take this obligation freely.”

“I take this obligation freely.”

“I will faithfully discharge the duties of my office.”

“I will faithfully discharge the duties of my office.”

“Of which I am about to enter.”

“Of which I am about to enter.”

“So help me God.”

“So help the people of this town” Freddy corrected.

While Freddy had agreed to swear on the bible, he would not uphold a faith in God. He did not believe one existed and neither did Michael. While he didn’t know exactly what controlled all of the mysteries of the universe, he was not a person to assume anything. Too many events in his life had challenged his beliefs on how things worked. Anyone who claimed to know definitively was a lair. As such, Freddy would not swear to something he did not believe existed. He would only swear his allegiance to the public, to whom he’d faithfully serve.

“So help the people of this town” the judge said.

“So help the people of this town” Freddy replied.

“Congratulations, Freddy. You are now the new mayor of this town.”

The crowds loudly boomed in cheers, as people cried and jumped in excitement. The judge whispered a “well done” to Freddy, before they shook hands. Looking over to Michael, Freddy gave him a passionate smooch, which lasted for almost a minute. The police officers, along with the leftovers from the former mayor’s tenure, let out disgusted sounds of disapproval at this turn of events. They were determined to stop this man, but would ultimately not succeed.

Once Michael was done kissing his husband, he made his way over to his seat. Freddy composed himself briefly, before he walked up to the podium. Once he stepped up and leaned into the microphone, he began his inaugural speech, aired online and seen all around the world.

“Good morning to everyone who is assembled here today” he began. “I am so remarkably humbled by the sheer size of the crowd. I am humbled by the number of people who came out in the cold to celebrate this historic occasion.”

The crowds cheered loudly, while the people sitting in the seats on the top of the steps applauded.

“If this a sign of the level civic engagement we will see during my administration, then we are off to a fantastic start.”

More cheers and applause could be heard.

“Thank you for your warm reception. I am truly humbled to be standing before you today as your newly sworn in mayor. I cannot express my gratitude enough. It has been a long road to get here. The victory tastes sweeter because of the hard work and sacrifices of my campaign and my family to get us to this point we’re at today. Just a year ago from this day, I was working long hours as a public defender in the great city of Sacramento.”

“Yeah Sacramento!” one person yelled, as the crowd cheered loudly.

Freddy chuckled lightly, before he continued.

“Sacramento was my home for ten years, before I moved back to this town, the hometown that I love so much. I was born and raised in this town 39 years ago this year. In my youth, I never expected to start a career in public service. I was just a small, friendly child who knew how to play games and cause a little mischief.”

The crowd laughed, as did Freddy’s parents. Freddy’s parents, Doug and Linda Benson, were beyond thrilled for their son. They couldn’t vote for him, as they had moved out of town years ago. However, they were excited that he had pulled off the upset, defying the odds against him. Admittedly, his parents believed their son’s campaign was quixotic at times. They had wished that Freddy would have dropped out at various points in the race, like Michael had insisted. However, they kept the faith and were proud of their son’s achievement when he declared victory on election night.

So many years earlier, their eldest son was lost; falling into a depression over his dashed dreams of becoming an Olympian. They feared he would fall down a similar path to their youngest son, Josh, Thanks to Michael’s encouragement and the later encouragement of his father in law, Freddy had turned his life around. They were proud of the man he had become.

Despite this show of support, Freddy had kept a bit of distance from his family. Part of it was just a result of how busy he was. In his years as a public defender, he worked long hours and many weekends. He barely had enough time for his husband and son as it was. His parents were simply an afterthought. His parents had hoped that this would change with their son’s new position. They were anxious to spend more time with him in their old age.

“I was my parents pride and joy for all of five years, before my wonderful baby brother, Josh, was brought into the picture.”

The crowd awed, as Freddy turned his attention to Josh. He was sitting next to Michael’s mother, as Freddy’s parents simply refused to sit next to him. Michael’s mother wanted to ease the tensions, so she sat next to her grandson, Evan. on one side and Josh on the other. As a result, Michael had to sit next to his father in law, who sat next to his wife, who sat next to Evan. It wasn’t the ideal seating arrangement, but it was the only one that could keep the peace on this special day.

Freddy had insisted that his parents allow Josh to be a presence in their lives again. His parents refused his request. Even though they didn’t need to host him in their apartment and even though he wasn’t asking for money and even though he was clean and sober, they still couldn’t bring themselves to do it. It was creating a tension between Freddy and his parents; one that would give a signal to Josh not to stay in town for too much longer. He didn’t plan to, anyhow. He had other ideas in mind for his future.

Josh looked up at his brother nervously from his seat. Freddy looked at him with a big smile on his face.

“My brother was, admittedly, kind of a pain in the ass growing up.”

The crowd laughed, as Josh began to blush. Michael’s mother chuckled, but Freddy’s parents stood stone faced. They refused to crack a smile, which Freddy noticed, but chose to ignore.

“We didn’t always get along growing up, but no matter what came between us, I always loved him.”

The crowd awed again.

“He was inquisitive, creative and a go getter. He was always down to play and had an abundance of energy when we were kids. When I was tired, he always wanted to keep going. He exhausted my entire family, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”

The crowed laughed again.

“Admittedly, as I have said during the campaign, Josh fell on troubled times when grew up. He didn’t always have the support systems he needed to help him get back on his feet again. He didn’t always have the resources available to talk about his anger and his feelings. I am happy to say that he has been clean now for almost a year. He has been in therapy, working on healing and stay healthy and sober.”

The crowed cheer wildly, as Josh let out a weak smile. Michael’s mother gave him an enthusiastic hug. Freddy’s parents gave tepid claps, while Evan rolled his eyes and Michael gave him a weak, but genuine smile.

“Our goal now is to keep him on the path to staying clean. He is immensely fortunate that he later received the care he desperately needed. It is a privilege still denied to far too many of who need it. His struggle is one of the many motivators behind my desire to run for this office. The mayor has control of our budget and can choose how to spend it, with the discretion of the town council. It is time for a new way of thinking on how we spend our tax dollars and who we choose to spend it on.

“No more will we lavishly spend money on political consultants and outside groups looking to enrich themselves at our expense.”

“Yes!” the crowd cheered.

“No more will we starve the funding for social services that help the poor who need assistance with getting back up on their feet.”

“Yes!”

“And no more will we lavishly throw money on those who choose to sow chaos and discord at those who want to make this town and others like ours better places to live.”

“Yes!”

The crowd cheered wildly, as Freddy took a moment to smile. He would have gone after the police department right on the spot. He felt that they deserved it. However, in victory, he wanted to be gracious to the losers. Today was a time to heal. There would be tough battles ahead. It was best to leave those fights for another day. Today was a day to be positive. There’d be enough negativity from the pundits and the news media to last a whole year or more. The war of words could start tomorrow. Today was a day to celebrate.

“I’d like to talk briefly about what inspired me to run my campaign for mayor a whole year ago. During my time in Sacramento as a public defender, I used my job as a means of giving aid and support to the most vulnerable members of society. While I worked long hours and sacrificed a great deal personally to support those who needed my help, I neglected to pay attention to things happening in my own backyard.”

Michael looked at his husband with a frown. In his mind, the thing Freddy had not paid attention to was him and his son. He knew, based on hearing earlier drafts of this speech, where this was going. He was not happy about it, but knew what was coming.

“One year ago, I was out on a walk around the neighborhood of my block in this town I am about to lead. I love, sometimes, to just take it all in on a walk of the place I'm proud to call my home. We have such beautifully built houses and neighbors who work so hard to keep things manicured and pretty. These are homeowners who are proud of their homes and take great care to keep them up to snuff. I was taking all of this beauty in, where I spotted a boy who would change my life forever. That boy, who is in the crowd this morning with his wonderful parents, is Devin Little.”

The crowd whooped and hollered, while Devin and his parents smiled. A camera was turned in their direction, capturing their appreciative waves to the other people in the crowd. During the campaign, Devin’s parents started taking the idea of moving more seriously. Though the town had given them yet another settlement, and the harassment by the police leveled off, they feared this was only temporary, so long as Freddy was still in the race. The international attention helped them for a time, but they feared that, if Freddy lost, the harassment by the police would continue in force.

Fortunately for them, Freddy pulled off the upset of the century. They wondered where the former mayor had mysteriously run off to, as did many other people. The way he up and went continued to puzzle and trouble many. In time, they would forget all about the former mayor, as if he never existed. He was still around town, but they’d never recognize him or believe you if you told him where he was these days.

“It was that fateful night that made me determined to run for this office. Watching the way the police treated him was horrible. I don’t wish to dwell on it too much, but spending the night with Devin in that jail cell opened my eyes to the things that were wrong with our town. I, like so many others, had long kept my head down to these types of abuses, hoping that they wouldn’t happen to people like me. Instead of bravely standing up, I own up to slinking back, saying nothing and doing nothing to try to go along to get along.

“Devin’s honesty about the way things were woke me up and made me determined to wake up others as well. When I started my campaign, I admittedly just wanted to raise awareness of these issues. For me at the time, that would have been enough. However, thanks to the contributions of a certain Diya Ramesh, this campaign changed overnight from an awareness builder to a real threat to the political establishment.”

The crowd let out a quieter applause, seeing as many had ill feelings towards Diya for various reasons.

“With her unprecedented and historic donation, my campaign was given a dose of oxygen. We used it to take us all the way to victory.”

The applause at this line was considerably louder.

“I was able to hire a staff, many of whom were later either elected to seats in the town council in last month’s special election or will be joining my administration. Many of them are in the crowd this morning. I’d like to thank you all for your tireless efforts and support. Your contributions, your long hours and your passion inspired and continue to inspire me everyday. I could not have done this without you. I owe you a great deal of gratitude for your work.”

The crowd cheered loudly, as the town council members stood up to take a bow. The staff in the front row of the crowd turned and bowed to the crowd. The town council members sat back down, before Freddy continued.

“Our team made this campaign a story about all of us. About those who don’t have a voice. About those who have been ignored for far too long. About those who were too afraid to speak up. About those who were ready for a change. We got these people to the polls and they gave us the victory that allows me to stand here today. On this podium, in front of you all, I dedicate this day to you.”

The crowd applauded again.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to extend an olive branch to those who didn’t vote for my campaign. For those who had, and still have, doubts and animosity towards me and what I stand for, I extend my hand my hand out to you. This is not about individuals. This is about the bigger picture. Let’s put aside our differences and work together. Let’s work towards making this town a better place for everyone.”

The crowd let out a light bit of applause.

“I am anxiously looking forward to starting office tomorrow, as I am taking the rest of the day to celebrate with my closest family, friends and loved ones. I don’t wish to take up too much of your time this morning. Before I go, I’d like to thank a few people in particular for making this day possible.

“I’d once again like to thank the tireless efforts of my staff and advisors. I’d like to thank the dozens of young, optimistic volunteers who got me here today. Your efforts to knock on doors, talk to voters face to face and show your support for me in person and online, made a huge difference. I couldn’t have done it without you. Our youth are our future. I believe in you, just as you believed in me. I will not let you down.”

The crowd let out a wild round of applause.

“I’d like to thank the Alan Cullen Democratic Club for being the first organization to let me speak and share my message to key political players in town. Though you did not give an endorsement in this race, you were the first to defy the pressure of the political establishment to allow me to speak to your members. You gave me the confidence to feel that I could be taken seriously as a candidate. Your support during my scandals proved valuable as well. Every other organization that let me speak to their members gets my sincerest thanks, but none more than you guys. Thank you so much.

“I’d like to thank all of the progressive writers, activists and advocates who supported my campaign against the challenges we faced. Your efforts to counter the voices of negativity against us proved crucial to securing this victory. Your ability to deliver our message was vital. Your support means the word to me and I can’t thank you enough.

“I’d like to thank my childhood friends and college buddies who reached out and gave me their support. I’d like to thank all of my family, extended and close. I have a few specific individuals I’d like to give special recognition to this at this time. I need to give a shout out to my trusted bodyguard and childhood friend, Chris.”

The crowd applauded, as Chris took a little bow.

“Chris has protected my life from the various threats I faced in the last weeks of the campaign and have faced since. He has served me with honor, dignity and strength. I look forward to many years with him by my side. Throughout this process, he has had my back 100%. Thank you, man. You mean the world to me and to my family, who love you very much.”

Chris smiled and noticed Michael and Evan’s reactions. Evan clapped happily, while Michael’s was less enthusiastic. However, Michael had a genuine smile, happy for Chris' help in saving his husband’s life…and his own. Chris didn’t feel he had done his best to protect them, but he intended to make it up to them over time, with his boss now in a position of power. He’d be there by his side, through thick and thin. He was looking forward to serving this man he so admired and respected.

“I’d like to thank my wonderful parents, Linda and Doug Benson. My baby brother, Josh, thank you so much. You are the best family a man like me could ask for. I love you so much. I will continue to make you all proud.”

Freddy let a tear out of his eye, as the crowd applauded. Josh looked embarrassed, while both of Freddy’s parents smiled brightly, proud of their son in that moment.

“I’d like to thank my in laws. My mother in law, Irene Scavolini. She has been such a tremendous mother in law and grandmother to our son, Evan. You have been the reason Michael and I have had any time alone together as a couple since he was born.”

The crowd laughed, as Michael’s mother nodded and took a quick bow.

“I’d like to thank my son, Evan.”

Evan looked up at his papa, feeling a mix of emotions in that moment. He was, admittedly, very happy for his papa. His father defeated the nasty mayor to become the new leader of the town. He no longer had to worry about the police harassing him. His father would no longer be flying out to Sacramento to work. However, he was nervous about what this new job might entail.

He feared for his papa’s life. He was worried that his papa wouldn’t have enough time for him. He enjoyed seeing papa as a dog and secretly wished the transformations would happen again. Never again would Freddy turn into a dog, but Evan always hoped it would happen, in the back of his mind. If he couldn’t have his papa as a dog, then he hoped that his dad would relent and let them adopt one. It wasn’t likely to happen, but a boy could hope.

Most importantly, he wondered what this would mean for their relationship. Evan’s major gripe was that his papa was never around for him. He was around even less during the campaign, especially as it became competitive. Freddy had promised to spend more time with him when this was over. So far, it seemed, that this promise had not been kept. He hoped that, when his papa settled in to his new job, that this would change. He was turning 13 this year and soon would not want to spend as much time with his papa anymore.

“Evan, you are my precious child. You are the reason I wake up everyday. I fight to make a world that you’ll be proud to say is better when you leave than when you arrived. I promised you that I was going to spend more time with you after I was elected. No matter how tough this job gets, I intend to keep that promise.”

“I’ll hold you to that” Evan thought to himself, as he smiled, while the crowd applauded.

“I’d like to thank someone who can’t be here with us this morning.”

“Where’s my thank you?” Michael grumbled to himself, trying not to show it in his facial expression.

Michael knew who was going to be mentioned next, so he wasn’t too upset. Still, he hated that Freddy waited so long to acknowledge him. People might tune out, so they wouldn’t hear what his husband had to say about him.

“He should have thanked me first. I made this day possible.”

“Not a day goes by that I don’t think about my late father in law” Freddy continued “Michael’s father, Evan’s grandfather, my father in law. Ralph Scavolini was, admittedly, a complex person in life. He didn’t always show his love for me in the way that he should have. However, he was such an important and supportive voice in my husband’s life. Admittedly, he became a supportive voice in my life as well. I remember right before he passed away, he and I had a heart to heart chat. He told me that I had such a way with people, that I should consider running for public office someday.”

The crowd applauded, as Michael looked up at his husband.

“I didn’t know he ever said that” Michael thought to himself.

“I was incredibly apprehensive about the idea at the time” Freddy continued. “When he brought it up to me, I kind of dismissed it. He insisted and pushed for me to do it. He’s the reason I became a public defender. He gave me the confidence to pursue it. He gave my husband, who was not supportive of the idea, a little nudge to allow me to do it. Without his cheerleading, it would not have been possible. I miss my dad every single day. Thank you, Ralph, for all you did for me and my husband.”

The crowd applauded, as Michael shed a tear from his eye. When the applause died down, Freddy turned to look at him.

“I need to ask this next person to come up here to the podium with me. Michael?”

Michael jolted upright, surprised by Freddy’s request. He smiled, as he got up to a round of applause from the crowd. Michael walked over to his husband and stood close to him.

“This man by my side may be the single biggest reason I’m able to stand at this podium today. It really would not have been possible, at all, without him.”

Freddy looked at Michael with tears in his eyes. Michael kept his composure with a smile, but he felt it wouldn’t last long.

“Michael, you are my everything. You’re the reason I can stand up here today. You were my first love and my only one. I have never dated anybody else. We knew each other growing up, but weren’t really friends at first. It wasn’t until we entered high school where that began to change. We were both coming to terms with who we were and who we loved. It seemed, at the time, we were the only gay kids in school. That drew us together, but it’s not what kept us tied at the waist for all these years.

“Your love for me doesn’t always come from your words, but from your actions. It’s from the ways you know what I’m thinking. It’s from the ways you know how to cheer me up when I’m sad. It’s from the ways you know exactly what to do in every situation. It’s from the way you restrain yourself when you’re angry. It’s from the the sacrifices you made to make my dreams possible. You are the world’s best dad to our son, Evan. He thinks the world of you and I do too. You are so smart, probably the smartest person I know.”

Michael chuckled and shook his head.

“It’s true, Michael. You have helped me out of so many ruts. You have been there for me when I needed an ear. You picked me up when I fell on hard times. You helped me find direction. You forced me to take my schooling more seriously. You were never too busy to answer a question I had. You did things, even when you didn’t want to do them, to help me out in a pinch. You are my shoulder, my biggest cheerleader and my lover. I couldn’t have done any of what I’ve done without you by my side.”

The crowd awed and applauded, as Michael began to shed tears in his eyes.

“You made this campaign possible, more than anybody else. If you hadn’t relented when I pestered you about running for this position a year ago, it never would have happened. So many people may appreciate my efforts, but they should really be thanking you. Your behind the scenes know how and your smarts made this day possible. I may be the face behind the operation, but you are the brains that keep it alive.

“You don’t always get the credit you rightfully deserve. I think we all know what I’m referring to, so I won’t elaborate. What I want to publicly say to you, with all of these people gathered here today as my witness, is that I want you to know that I support you, the way you have always supported me. Our son is getting older and soon won’t want us in our hair anymore. Being a teenager and all, he’s not going to want his parents around all the time.”

The crowd laughed, as Freddy continued to tear up in front of Michael. Evan felt embarrassed, but his grandmother gave him comfort.

“So I want you to have the spotlight for a moment. I want everyone here today to give my husband the road of applause he deserves for making this day possible.”

The crowd cheered and applauded loudly. Michael stood genuinely happy, appreciative of the recognition he was receiving.

“All of the people I have helped throughout the years as a public defender should thank him. All of the people who supported my campaign should thank him. All of those who felt that I could give them the strength to hope for a better future should thank him. Anyone who has thanked me needs to thank him as well. They could not have been helped without him being by my side.”

The crowed continued to cheer, as Michael blushed. Tears rolled down his eyes, as Freddy held his hand.

“Michael, you are the love of my life. All of the obstacles we have faced, we overcame together as a team. We may be two individuals, but in life, we are one. I love you with all of my heart. I know you do too.”

Michael nodded, as Freddy gave him another tender smooch. The crowd applauded and those who were seated stood up to clap. When they were done kissing, those assembled sat back down in their seats.

“Finally, I’d like to thank every person who voted for my campaign. On election night, you made this dream of mine a reality. I promise to do you all proud and serve you with honor, integrity and a passion for my fellow neighbors. Thank you all for coming out this morning. Bless you all.”

The crowd went wild, as Freddy walked over to Michael and whispered in his ear.

“Let’s go get something to eat. I’m fucking starving right about now.”

Michael let out a giggle, as he wiped the tears away from his face. Chris stood closely behind them, blocking off reporters and the gaggle of onlookers from getting too close. Freddy hugged his family and kissed his son on his forehead.

“Lunch is on me!” Freddy exclaimed, as they walked off the steps and headed to their cars. They planned to get some lunch. It was the only time, for a while at least, that they’d all be together as a family.

“That was live coverage of the inauguration of Freddy Benson of mayor of our town” Brian said, as the live footage panned back to the studio. “We’ll be back in a few minutes, with more analysis and a recap of this morning’s events.”

That day was ten months ago. It was what Freddy was thinking about, when he woke up on a warmer than average Friday morning in November. A year and change removed from his upset victory on election day, Freddy noticed the light shining in from his bedroom window. As he stirred awake, he noticed that he was in the bed alone; again. It was a regular occurrence now, a change from how it had been for many years prior.

Yawning, Freddy stretched and got himself up. He wore a silky pair of pajamas, with no underwear underneath. He had no morning wood, which he felt was a relief. He was feeling a little tired this morning, but was still ready to start the day. Dragging himself down to the kitchen, he started up a pot of coffee, before he heard a car pull by the front of the house.

“Thanks!” a man called out from the window. “I’ll see you later, honey!”

“That’s him” Freddy thought to himself, as he yawned and walked over to the front door.

Before Freddy could open it, Chris had already let himself in. He was dressed in a black suit and tie, the appearance of an utmost professional. He beard was slightly sculpted, but still full and luscious. He had thought about trimming his excessive body hair as well, but ended up deciding against it; to Freddy’s satisfaction.

“Morning Freddy” Chris said with a big smile, as he went in for a hug.

Freddy embraced him strongly, as the two hugged for almost a whole minute before they let go. In the time that Chris had worked as Freddy’s bodyguard, more than a year now, counting his work on the campaign trail, Michael had eased up some of his tighter rules. When he was first elected, Michael, still sour about what had happened between them, kept Chris under tight rules, with the exception on the using the title of “Mr. Scavolini.” Over time, he eased his rules, making things better in the household overall. That included letting Chris embrace and support Freddy with more than just a simple handshake.

“Morning Chris” Freddy replied. “How are you doing this morning?”

“Great, Freddy. Every day I’ve been able to work alongside you is truly a blessing.”

“Gosh, Chris. That’s so nice of you to say. Thanks man.”

Freddy patted Chris on the shoulder and ushered him inside.

“Mind making some breakfast for me while I shower and get ready to go?”

“No problem at all, boss. You go do your thing and I’ll have breakfast on the table for you by the time you’re done. Any preference?”

“I’m flexible. Just make me something delicious.”

“You got it, boss.”

Freddy nodded, as he ran back upstairs to his room. He had poked his morning wood, which made an appearance during their embrace, into Chris’ leg. Chris had noticed this as well, but chose not to say anything. He didn’t want to embarrass his boss. His boss wasn’t ogling him, so he felt it was just prudent to say nothing.

“He doesn’t need to be embarrassed by me bringing that up” Chris thought to himself, as he got in the kitchen and prepared to make a meal for his boss.

As Chris began to prepare a batter to make waffles, he heard someone else come down the stairs.

“Freddy couldn’t have gotten ready that fast” he thought to himself.

Walking into the kitchen was Evan.

“Morning Chris!” Evan exclaimed.

“Hey buddy!” Chris replied, as he turned around to give Evan a hug.

Chris embraced him tightly, planting kisses on his forehead and cheek. In the year since he had gotten closer to Evan, puberty had already began to make itself present. Evan had shot up several inches, though he would never become a tall adult. His body had begun to fill out, seeing that he was an active soccer player. His hair was cropped neatly and his voice had begun to change.

Another thing that had occurred was the beginnings of his sexual changes. When Freddy and Michael had discovered that their son was straight, it was difficult for them to have a proper birds and bees conversation. Seeing that Michael had never hooked up with a girl and Freddy had never had sex with a human one, it was difficult for them to have the talk with their son. Though they thought it might be awkward, they asked for Chris to be there when they did it.

The conversation went better with Chris’ presence. Chris, being mostly straight, gave Evan a perspective that his parents could not. He talked about women and their reproductive systems. He told him about being safe and not getting a girl pregnant. Overall, though Chris may have gotten a little too personal in talking about his sexual exploits, it was what Evan needed to hear. He appreciated his parents for having Chris talk to him while they were around.

“You’re getting so big” Chris said, as he let go of Evan. “Soon, you’re not going to want me to hug and kiss you anymore.”

“Maybe not with my friends around” Evan replied honestly. “However, if it’s just the two of us, or my parents around, then I don’t see why that would stop. You’re a guy I really love, Chris, almost like a third dad. You’re so cool and all my friends think so too. Every time we hang out, they’re all like ‘when’s Chris going to pick you’ or ‘is Chris going to be there?’ You’re the guy everyone at school respects, being as you’re so tough and buff.”

“Heh. I may look like a big, tough guy, but I’m really just a big old softie on the inside.”

“Maybe when you let you guard down, but when you need to be strong and brave, you are.”

Chris gulped briefly, unsure of if he agreed with that sentiment entirely.

“Is something wrong?” Evan asked, as he sat at the table.

“No” Chris lied. “Everything is good. I’m making waffles for your papa. Want some?”

“Yup! I like waffles!”

Chris chuckled, as he continued making breakfast. In the shower, Freddy wanted to take care of his morning wood. It didn’t take him long. He kept the water running, in case someone came in and could hear him. He squirted some lotion on his dick and did his business. He knew he might get some tonight, but with his schedule as busy as it was, he didn’t entirely know for sure. He decided he could cum more later if he needed to. For now, he needed this release, considering he’d be spending all day with Chris by his side.

Freddy moaned quietly, as he held onto the shower wall and rubbed himself into orgasm. In a surpassingly few amount of strokes, he loudly moaned and shot a rope of jizz onto the tiles and into the tub.

“Man” Freddy thought to himself, as he panted and caught his breath when it was done. “I’ll have to clean that up later.”

Freddy washed over it with the hose, before he shampooed and soaped up his body. He still kept in good shape, with a trim frame and some slight muscle. He took extra time to scrub up his dick, balls and ass, before rinsing them off. Shutting off the water, he walked over to the sink and shaved his face. He hadn’t grown out his beard since the final days of his father in law many years ago. He would never grow it out again in his lifetime. The longest it would ever get was three days of growth, before Michael would shave him himself.

After drying himself off and blowdrying his hair, Freddy picked out his outfit for the day; a blue suit, with a pink tie and white dress shirt and brown shoes. He took his time putting the outfit on, careful to avoid getting wrinkles. When he was done changing, he checked himself out in the mirror; impressed with the sight he saw. Smiling, he gave himself the thumbs up, before he walked downstairs and into the kitchen. When he arrived, a plate of waffles had just been put onto his spot at the table. A hot cup of coffee was already placed next to it.

“Just in the nick of time” Chris said with a chuckle. “I was about to ask Evan to call up for you to come down.”

“Thank you Chris” Freddy said, as he sat down at the table “for this delicious meal.”

“You’re a great cook” Evan added, as he finished his waffles. “It’s too bad you can’t cook all of our meals.”

“Well” Chris replied “I’m sure Michael wouldn’t be too happy with that. You guys are lucky he gave in on the cooking thing for breakfast.”

“He kind of had to” Freddy noted while he ate. “He doesn’t have the time anymore, like he used to,”

“It feels so weird” Evan commented, as he sat back and digested his food. “It’s still tough for me to get used to him not being here in the morning. He always was, for years. It’s not the same without him around in the morning.”

“You should be happy for him” Freddy said, trying to be encouraging, while drinking some coffee. “Besides, weren’t you always complaining that I never took you to school in the morning?”

“Yeah?”

“So, now I take you to school everyday.”

“Chris actually takes me to school everyday. You’re just in the car with us.”

“In my car. Plus, sometimes I get out and walk you in.”

“He’s right, Evan” Chris said, as he made a batch of waffles for himself. “I may be the driver, but Freddy hires me to drive you, so it’s being done as an extension of your papa. Consider me as a conduit for your papa to get you to school on time. Speaking of which, you’re not going to school looking like that, are you?”

Evan looked down at his tattered clothes and messy hair and then looked back up at Chris.

“Sure I am” he replied. “It’s the new look. Everyone at school dresses like this.”

“It looks like you just rolled out of bed” Freddy replied with a laugh.

“Did you even shower this morning?” Chris asked, as he took a whiff with his nose. “I don’t think you did.”

“I took one last night” Evan replied with a playful defensiveness.

“Well, you stink, dude. You need to shower in the morning. Go do to that and put on some better looking clothes.”

“I’ll shower, but I’m not changing.”

“Evan—“

“It’s fine” Freddy said, looking to mediate the situation. “Evan, get showered and then put back on your clothes.”

“Ok papa” Evan replied, as he got up to put his plate in the sink. “Thanks for breakfast, Chris. I really appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome” Chris replied, as he put the batch of waffles he made for himself on his plate.

Evan walked upstairs to take a shower in the guest bathroom. Settling down with his food on the table in the kitchen, Chris spoke up.

“You really ought to have that boy think about getting a new wardrobe. He looks like he rolled out of bed when he goes to school every morning.”

“That’s just the new look” Freddy replied. “All the kids of school look like that now. I think it’s best that I just let him fit in. He’s doing much better in school now, so I don’t want to mess with that, you know?”

“His grades are improving, but still. I think a growing boy needs to look like a respectable person.”

“Hey! He’s respectable. That’s my son you’re talking about.”

“I didn’t say he wasn’t respectable, just that his clothes need to match who he is on the inside, that’s all.”

“Leave the parenting to me and Michael on this one, Chris.”

Chris frowned, as he slowly ate his waffles. Freddy noticed this and placed a supportive hand on his bodyguard’s hand.

“Cheer up, Chris. I really appreciate all you do to help me and my family. I just want Evan to do what he feels comfortable with. He’s not a troublemaker. Let’s not provoke a spat of rebelliousness. You know Michael would concur with me on this.”

“I do. I get where your priorities lie. Still, when I was a growing up, I was always taught that you want to dress to impress. I just don’t understand kids these days, that’s all.”

“Hey listen. Plenty of kids we knew growing up dressed like slobs. Look where many of them turned up?”

“In prison?”

Freddy laughed and shook his head.

“No, silly! In good, respectable jobs. What these kids do as kids means nothing. Let them have their silly outfits while they’re still young. As long as he’s staying out of trouble, that’s what counts.”

“I guess.”

Chris looked up at Freddy with a smile.

“You don’t have to wait for me to finish eating” he said, when noticed that Freddy had finished his coffee and waffles.

“That’s ok, Chris. I want to. I like spending time with you.”

Chris smiled, as Freddy watched him eat. When he was done eating, Evan ran back downstairs, freshly showered, but wearing the same outfit as before.

“The clothes stink” Chris said, as he sniffed his nose. “What was the point of a shower if you’re still going to reek?”

“Ugh” Evan groaned, as he walked back upstairs to put on a new outfit.

“He’s still going to stink” Freddy noted when Evan had left. “Putting on the stinky clothes will make him stink again. Plus, boys his age just stink all the time.”

“That’s why he should have put on a new outfit after he showered” Chris commented, as he put his dish, along with Freddy's dish and mug, into the sink and cleaned them off “but whatever.”

Soon after, Evan came down in a similar outfit. His smell was acceptable to Chris, who gave him a tender hug.

“Good” Chris commented.

“Your bag?” Freddy asked.

“Oh duh!” Evan replied. “Hold on a second!”

Evan ran upstairs again and got his book bag, He slung it over his shoulder, as he made his way back into the living room. When Evan gave the thumbs up, Chris ushered them to the front door.

“Let’s go, gentlemen” Chris said, as he opened the front door and led them outside. “Don’t want us to be late.”

Freddy and Evan got into the car, as Chris locked up behind him. Settling into the drivers seat, Chris looked back at his passengers in the rear view mirror.

“Ready gentlemen?” he asked.

Freddy and Evan nodded, before Chris started the car and adjusted the seat to his liking. When he was comfortable, he pulled out of the driveway and headed to their first destination; Evan’s high school. Evan had enrolled in the same high school that Freddy and Michael had attended when they were teenagers in this town. Although times had changed, the building had remained the same, for the most part.

Following the flooding that Diya had caused to allow Michael to rescue Freddy from Sofya years ago, the building underwent a major renovation. Floors were redone, all the classrooms were upgraded and the facility was expanded to accommodate one hundred more students. It was a bit of bust, seeing as the town’s population began to decline. However, Freddy hoped that, by attracting more people to move in, the numbers would shoot up and they would receive more state and federal funding. He knew he could make it work. He just needed to be patient.

On the drive over, Freddy wrapped his arm around Evan’s shoulder.

“Nervous for school today?” Freddy asked.

“Not really” Evan replied.

“You’re going to knock them dead” Chris commented as he drove.

“Thanks Chris.”

“What classes do you have today?” Freddy asked.

“History, biology, math, literature and social etiquette. We also have gym and a free period. Friday isn’t a tough day, usually.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“Is that girl you like in any of your classes today?” Chris asked.

“Chris” Evan groaned “I don’t want to talk about her right now.”

“Was just curious, buddy, that’s all. You can tell me later.”

“You could tell me too, you know” Freddy prodded.

“It’s nothing, really” Evan said. “She’s just a girl, that’s all.”

“Well, you’ll tell me when you’re ready.”

Chris mouthed to Freddy that he’d tell him later. Freddy nodded, as he patted Evan on the shoulder.

Soon enough, they approached the high school. Freddy recognized it immediately, seeing as he had been a student there for four years when he was Evan’s age. Evan had already turned 13 that summer, so he was beginning his teenage years. Freddy remembered his own youth fondly, though Michael did not feel the same. Evan said he felt mixed about it, but ultimately appreciated the good over the bad.

The high school brought back a lot of memories for Freddy. It was where he and Michael became a couple. It was where he made some of his best friends, though he fell out of touch with many of them for years. It was also where he excelled as a track and field runner and began to attempt to do it professionally. It made him smile, as he cherished the fun times he had as a teenager.

Evan, seeing his classmates from the window, moved his papa’s hand off of his shoulder. Freddy noticed this and frowned.

“Don’t want your classmates to see me?” Freddy asked curiously.

Evan sighed and shook his head.

“No papa” Evan replied, as he gave his father a hug. “It’s just kids can be mean, that’s all. I love you papa. I’ll see you when you get home.”

“See you soon, Evan. I love you very much.”

Chris pulled the car over to the front of the school building and unlocked the door.

“See you later, Evan” Chris said.

“Later Chris” Evan replied, as he got out of the car with his bag around his back and closed the door behind him.

When they saw that Evan had walked into school, with a girl whispering in his ear, Chris drove the car to their next destination; the town hall. It was a bit of drive, about twenty minutes or so, but Freddy didn’t mind doing it and neither did Chris. It was extra time he had to bond with his son, seeing that he had promised Evan that he would make it a priority. Every bit of time he could make for Evan was made, sometimes in some unconventional ways.

“Was that the girl?” Freddy asked, as Chris drove him to work.

“That was her” Chris replied as he nodded.

“What’s her name? I don’t think I recognize her.”

“Andrea. I don’t know her last name.”

“When did they start seeing each other?”

“I don’t know. I also don't know how serious it is, to be honest. Evan confided in me that it’s just kind of casual.”

“Sexual?”

“I don’t believe so, but I’ll press him on it the next time he brings her up. Just do me a favor and don’t let him know I told you this, ok? He feels like he doesn’t want you guys to know until he thinks it’s serious.”

“Ok, Chris. I just wish he wouldn’t hide stuff from me, that’s all.”

“Honestly, Freddy, guys hide who they’re dating from their parents all the time. Most times you don’t meet their girlfriend unless it’s serious. Evan doesn’t think this is serious, yet. If he does, then he’ll tell you.”

“Ok. I just wish I wasn’t so in the dark about these things.”

“That’s the parental instinct in you. Being as I’m not Evan’s dad or papa, he’s told me things that he would never tell you. He thinks I keep his secrets, and most of the time I do, but some things I don’t. Just promise me you won’t mention this to him.”

“Can I ask him who the girl is? Say that I saw her whisper in his ear?”

“Best you didn’t, to be honest. Just pretend you didn’t notice is my advice.”

“Ok. I just don’t like the secrets.”

“You keep secrets.”

“No I don’t.”

“Yes you do.”

“Yeah? What?”

“Well, for starters, what we did together.”

“It wasn’t really a secret, per se. You did promise him that you’d do it.”

“But you never told him we…you know.”

A few months after Freddy had been sworn in as mayor, Chris fulfilled his promise to Michael during the intense car chase from the police. One weekend in April, Michael took his mother and their son Evan away for a weekend trip. While Freddy was alone in the house, he had invited Chris to come over to spend the weekend together.

For three days, Freddy and Chris were naked together. They explored each other in every conceivable way possible. As Freddy had taken off from work, they focused on going slow. Chris felt nervous about it at first, but Freddy was patient and took him through the ropes. Freddy gave Chris head and vice versa. They each came in each other’s mouths, at least twice. Chris fucked Freddy twice, once in the doggy position and once in the missionary. Chris had a hard time keeping his erection, but he had managed to cum both times.

Finally, Freddy fucked Chris once and really enjoyed himself. Chris’ body hair caused his dick to pulse to full hardness and he shot his load in his bodyguard’s asshole within a minute. Chris enjoyed the anal stimulation and found he preferred to be fucked over fucking men. However, after this experience, he didn’t plan to do it again.

The rest of the weekend was spent talking about their feelings, Freddy’s marriage and Chris’ attempts at dating. Freddy enjoyed feeling up Chris’ body hair and beard, exploring every inch of his bodyguard's fur with his fingers and his erect dick. Chris enjoyed getting his body hair pet and played with, but also appreciated the positive encouragement of his boss to keep his hair the way it was. Freddy had said it was sexy and he should find a woman who loved him as he was, fur in tact.

They bonded like brothers and found that their relationship grew stronger after their weekend together. Both of them saw it as a way to blow off steam. Chris went back to looking for women, surer of where he stood in terms of his sexual orientation. Freddy had gotten to fulfill a long held dream of his and fucked Michael extremely hard that Sunday night. They never had any issues after this, though they worried it might cause tensions between them. Both of their needs had been fulfilled. Neither of them felt all that guilty about it afterwards.

“I don’t think he has to know” Freddy said in the car in the present time.

“You’re never going to tell him?” Chris asked.

“Why would I? He knows that you said you’d do it and I figure it’s best not to upset him. He doesn’t need it right now. We don’t spend enough time together as is. I want the time we have together to be peaceful, not stressful.”

“Still, you’re kind of keeping secrets from him and he’ll be angrier that you didn’t tell him than if you just were honest about it.”

“I don’t know. I’d rather not say.”

“Think about it.”

Freddy nodded, as he looked at his communication device. The messages from his staff and other town employees were already rushing in. It wasn’t even nine o clock.

“Today is going to be busy” Freddy thought to himself, as he began to respond to some of the messages on the drive over.

“Boss?” Chris asked.

“Huh? Freddy replied with a jolt.

“Before we go in today, I want to ask you something. Don’t be mad, ok?”

“Ok.”

“You don’t like have any lingering doubts about what we did that weekend, do you?”

“Honestly, Chris? No. I had my fun and now I’m sated. I’m good. I don’t have any feelings for you, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“I mean, I don’t either, to tell you the truth. I wasn’t seeing anybody at the time, so it wasn’t an infidelity thing. However, I just don’t know how good I felt about it. Granted, we bonded on a personal level and that was awesome. We shared so much with each other and got so much off our fucking chests. However, I just wonder if we could have done all that without the sex part, that’s all.”

“We still could sometime. If Michael goes away with Evan for a weekend again, we can just hang out as buds and shoot the breeze.”

“No funny business, as your father in law would say?”

Freddy chuckled, but then fell silent for a moment.

“No funny business” he finally replied. “I promise.”

Chris nodded, as he approached the town hall building.

“We’re here, boss. Should I let you out?”

“No. I’ll walk with you.”

Chris pulled the car into the parking garage in a specially marked spot for Freddy. When they were settled in, Chris got out and opened the door for Freddy.

“Thank you Chris.”

“You’re welcome, Freddy.”

Chris motioned Freddy to stay close, as he briefly surveyed the immediate area. Nodding, he walked Freddy out of the garage and towards the front steps of the town hall. Making their way up the stairs, Chris opened the door and motioned Freddy to head inside. When they got into the hall, they saw a security officer, newly hired, attending the front desk.

“Morning Mr. Mayor” he said with a smile.

“Morning Kelley” Freddy replied. “How are you today? How are your wife and kids?”

“I’m swell and my family is amazing, as always. See you later, Mr. Mayor.”

“Later Kelley.”

Freddy smiled, as he walked the halls with Chris. In the rooms along the hall were the offices of the new town council members, his political allies. After the election, much of the town council was forced to resign, due to a federal investigation into their political activities. They defiantly span it as quitting en masse, to protest the arrival of Freddy Benson as mayor. Despite the spin, the result was chaotic. Their mass resignations saw a mad scramble for an election a few weeks later. It was one that had a low voter turnout, which allowed Freddy to get his allies positioned to win every single seat up for grabs. It officially gave him full control of the legislative chamber, to the anger of the news media and the political establishment. This made passing his legislative agenda that much easier, to the ire of those who opposed it.

“Morning Freddy” the various town council members would say, as he passed by their offices.

Freddy smiled, acknowledged them and waved, as Chris followed closely behind. After glad handing for a couple of minutes in the hall, Freddy was escorted to the back offices. Where the desks of the former mayor’s advisors and staff once were had been updated, with new people taking their spots. After he was sworn in, Freddy, to the anger of the news media and the political establishment, tossed everyone out and replaced them all with his allies. He needed to do this, to be sure his agenda faced no obstacles from within. The opposition was bad enough from the outside. He didn’t need it to be undermined from within as well.

The smiling faces of the young, fresh staffers stood up and gave their greetings to their boss. Freddy briefly talked with all of them, before excusing himself to his office.

“My office” Freddy thought to himself with a chuckle. “I’ll never get over how good that sounds.”

Once Freddy made his way into his office, he took note of the changes he made. After he was sworn in, he had money spent on fixing up the room. He cleared up the dents that the former mayor had made in the wall. He hired a construction crew to knock open a space in the back wall, to install new windows. He got rid of the excessive book shelves, to air it out and open up the room. Most importantly, Freddy removed the door. He wanted to make himself as accessible to the men and women who worked under him as possible. That meant removing the privacy barrier. He preferred it this way and so did everyone else.

Settling down in his desk, Freddy began to sort through the various tasks on his to do list. He took a lot of calls early in the day, to discuss various policy initiatives and plans for expanding the budget of the town. Chris sat in a chair across the room, darting his eyes between his boss and a game he was playing on his communication device. He was also texting a special someone, but they couldn’t talk for very long.

Sometime before lunch, Freddy invited his advisors into his office for a strategy session. They discussed plans to hire unemployed people from further away to work on fixing the roads and renovating the parks. He wanted to help them gain valuable experience to get back on their feet. Freddy’s goal was to target those who had recently been on house arrest, seeing that the number of prisons had been sharply reduced. Only the most serious of criminals remained in jail. Lower, quality of life offenses were treated with counseling and tough talks, not cops, tickets and jail time.

Freddy insisted to his advisors to look for those who needed the job most. If they needed supervising, then hire managers to look after them. Otherwise, unemployed people were who he wanted to hire, not contractors who wanted to profit off of the taxpayer. Such an initiative would have been unheard of during the tenure of the former mayor, who had still not been found by this time. This was just one of the many ways things had changed under Freddy’s administration so far.

Other areas of discussion included new funding for schools, a mentoring program for the poor and financial assistance to help families move into abandoned and foreclosed houses. In the ten months he had been mayor so far, Freddy had increased the minority population from 1% to 20%. There was a mass exodus of older, white people, something the news made sure to cover frequently, to his continuous annoyance. However, those homes were mostly sold to minorities, changing the balance of the community in a positive direction.

Devin Little’s family ultimately stayed put in town. Their confidence inspired others, who brought their families to move into town to live there. Though they worried in the back of their minds that Freddy could be removed or killed while in office, they let their faith guide them, hoping that things were finally going to change for good. Freddy would work his hardest to see these changes occur, which were already reverberating miles and miles away from where he worked.

When Freddy and his staffers were done with their strategy session, he broke his advisors for lunch. They all got up and left in an orderly fashion. One of his staffers had brought him a salad before they left to eat.

“Thank you” Freddy said, as he settled into his chair and began to dig in.

Chris had brought a sandwich to eat from home and and moved his chair over to the desk to eat with his boss. The two of them enjoyed their meals for a brief time, before Freddy’s communication device began to ring.

“Come on, boss” Chris said. “You know the rule. No calls during lunch.”

“Let me just see who it is first” Freddy replied.

When he looked at the screen, he saw Josh’s name pop up.

“It’s Josh. I have to take this.”

Chris nodded in approval, while Freddy answered the call. He put it on speaker mode and then began to talk.

“Hey Josh. How’s it going?”

“Hey Freddy” Josh replied. “Things are great around me. For the first time in my life, I feel like I’m finally making something of myself.”

After the election. Freddy had attempted to get his brother, Josh, a job in his administration. However, strict rules on hiring requirements, coupled with his desire to avoid accusations of nepotism, made him change his mind. He let Josh down gently, hoping it wouldn’t trigger a meltdown or a lapse back into drugs. Fortunately, Josh didn’t care about the job anymore. The only problem for Freddy was, he and Michael were going to need to help Josh finance what he had in mind as an alternative.

“I’m so happy for you Josh. You really turned your life around. I’m very proud of you.”

“I know. I have to thank you again for helping to make this possible. We couldn’t have done it without you…or Michael.”

Josh came to Freddy and Michael with a business proposal. Tom had successfully stayed in his house for one final month, but could not scourge the money to stay put into December. Since no work was coming, Tom knew he couldn’t stay behind. As hard as it was to say goodbye to his house, he finally sold it before the previous year was over. With owed taxes, repair costs and the realtor’s commission taking out much of the profit, he made almost nothing from the sale of the house. He was lucky he wasn’t in the red. However, now he had no place to go.

All Tom had left in his possession was his communication device and his pregnant dog, Lady. Tom had pestered Josh constantly about setting up another commercial, but Josh finally told him the truth. The only way to get work regularly was to move to LA. Although Tom jumped at the chance, Josh wasn’t so sure. It was where he feared returning to; seeing as it had triggered his previous demons. In spite of this, he figured if they could find a place together that was more spread out, just outside of the city, then they could raise the coming puppies for the purposes of using them in commercials.

In order to pull this idea off, Josh had bugged Freddy and Michael for a business loan. Michael, at first, adamantly opposed the idea. After Freddy gave him a stern talking to, explaining what the alternatives were, they had come to an agreement. Michael would take out a mortgage on a ranch just outside of Los Angeles. Josh was to work until he could start paying it back. If Josh had paid him back in full, then he could keep the house. However, if he slipped on his payments, then Michael would use the house as collateral. Josh didn’t like these terms, but Michael would not budge.

“Take it or leave it” Michael said to him sternly at the time. “You’re not getting a better offer than this.”

Reluctantly, Josh agreed to the terms. Finding a sprawled out space around 80 miles from the center of LA, Michael purchased it and allowed Josh to move in there with Tom and Lady. Soon after they settled in, Lady gave birth to a litter of pure bred German Shepherd puppies. They spayed one of the four girls and neutered two of the three boys. They also spayed Lady and had her immediately go to work.

With Josh’s industry connections, he began to get her parts on television, in commercials, on streaming platforms and in movies. Josh served as Tom’s agent and manager and would take a reduced commission of just 20%. Tom started the initial payments to Michael in exchange, but would not own the house when it was over. Josh got the work and Tom trained the dogs. Over time, they became the go to people for German Shepherds in Hollywood. They raked in a lot of dough over time, but for now, they were making a smaller, but still pretty penny; to both of their delights.

“I’m just happy it worked out, Josh. It was a very risky proposition, but considering I couldn’t get you the job here, it was the least I could do to help.”

“Don’t worry about, Freddy. To be honest, I really didn’t want a job working for you, anyway. I didn’t want you being my boss and being stuck in an office all day. That would drive me nuts.”

“I’m sure being with Tom all day drives you nuts.”

“Hey!!!!!” Tom could be heard yelling. “I heard that!!!!!”

“Tom” Josh said to him. “What did I tell you about not interrupting private calls?”

“He—“

“Tom, it’s a very simple rule. Do unto others and you would have them do onto you. You know how you get if I hear your private calls.”

“Yes, but—“

“So it’s a matter of common courtesy and respect.”

“Fine. Tell him I said hello.”

“I will.”

A moment passed, before Josh spoke again.

“Tom says hello.”

“I heard.”

Freddy chuckled, before Josh brought up an uncomfortable subject matter.

“So Tom told me something the other day that I never knew before.”

“Oh? What’s that?”

“I never knew you were a dog.”

Freddy got quiet, as he turned his communication device off of speaker mode. Looking at Chris nervously, he put the device up to his ear, before he continued.

“What are you talking about?”

“Tom and I were having an argument the other day, when I was asking about who sired Lady. He kept saying Buddy in a kind of unsure way, before he confessed to me that it was you as his dog. He said there was some ring when we were kids and that you read the inscription on the back and you turned into that dog, Fido.”

“Uh.”

“Freddy, please be honest with me. When that dog Fido was in the house and mom and dog kept trying to hide him and stuff, was that really you?”

Freddy paused for a moment, before he decided to tell his brother the truth.

“Yeah, Josh. That was me.”

“Oh my god! Get the fuck out of here! I knew something was up! How did you manage to keep that from mom and dad for so long?”

“Uh, that’s because I didn’t.”

“What?”

“Michael told them.”

“Wait, hold up. So literally everybody knew about this but me?”

“You were 12, Josh, and we couldn’t trust you to keep your mouth shut at the time.”

“Well what about years later? Wouldn’t it have occurred to you to say ‘Hey, remember that stray dog Fido when we were growing up? Well, that was me.’”

“We fell out of touch for a while and I just never had time or knew when, or even if, to bring it up.”

“Well what about this last time? That dog Buddy was you too, right?”

“Yes, Josh. That was also me.”

“Son of a…how come I never got to see you transform into a dog?”

“It’s not something I wanted to happen, like ‘Hey Josh. Want to watch your big brother dog out on you?’ It’s not like I triggered the transformations on command.”

Though this was partially true, it wasn’t entirely so, at least not the first time.

“Still, not only did you keep this from me for all these years, you didn’t tell me that you had turned into a dog again just last year. I could have helped you out, Freddy. Why didn’t you just call me for help?”

“Because the person who needed the help at the time was you. I didn’t need to trigger your anxiety and stress by dragging you into what I had to go through to end the curse. Trust me, Josh. If you had experienced what Michael and Tom and I all experienced to end the curse, you may have relapsed back into drugs. You’ve done such a good job staying clean. I didn’t want all that effort to go to waste.”

Josh sighed on the other end of the line, before he agreed.

“I guess you kind of have a point. Still, I hate that I missed it. I would have wanted to see it happen. A once in a lifetime opportunity and it was taken from me.”

"I mean, you did get to see me as a dog."

"Yeah, but I didn't know it was you at the time."

"And I helped you out by doing that commercial. Michael thought we should have been working on ending the curse."

"You bolted half way through the shoot. I can't work with that producer ever again."

"I had to run off when I did because I was changing back. If I was spotted naked in such a public setting like that, it would have been a big problem. It was risky for me, Josh, but I did the commercial to help you out. It aired, after all, so the producer must not have been too upset by what happened. Based on how you're doing these days, I'd say me being Buddy helped you out in a big way."

"I guess. Still, I just wanted to see you turn into a dog so badly."

“I’ll tell you what, Josh. Not that it’s going to ever happen again, but…”

Freddy knocked on his wooden desk, before he continued.

“If for some strange reason I ever turn into a dog again, I will be sure to tell you so you can see it.”

“Ok, Freddy. I guess that’s the best we can do for now. I’m going to hold you to that.”

“I’ll keep my end of the deal.”

It was an easy promise for Freddy to keep, seeing as, this time, he had finally beaten the curse. He would never change into any dog ever again.

“So if you were Fido” Josh continued “does that mean that Shadow was your puppy?”

Freddy gulped nervously, as he began to blush.

“It was” he admitted quietly.

“Wow, Freddy, I didn’t think you liked girls.”

“I don’t.”

“So then how did you breed a litter of puppies like that?”

“All I can say is that the dog had a mind of its own. I may not like girls, but the dog that took over my body did. He was turned on by the scent of a female in heat.”

“So did you like it?”

“I’d rather not talk about that. Can we move on from this subject, please.”

“Just one more question and then I’ll stop. Did you knock up Ellie and give her puppies too?”

“Yes, Josh. I did.”

“Ok. I’m done with the questions now. Thanks. It’s just I never knew about any of this stuff and I was just curious, that's all.”

“I won’t keep it secret from you in the future, Josh, but hopefully it never happens again.”

A silence fell between them on the call, before Freddy brought up an uncomfortable bit of subject matter of his own.

“So” he continued. “Have you heard from mom and dad at all?”

“No” Josh replied solemnly. “No, I have not.”

After the families went out to lunch to celebrate Freddy’s inauguration, his parents quickly said goodbye and left. That would be the last time Josh would see them in a long time. Josh had made attempts, while he was still in town, to reconnect with his parents, but they did not agree to meet with him. This infuriated Freddy, who had given them a harsh scolding, before resigning himself to how things were between them. Freddy’s parents knew this was causing a strain with their eldest son, but they could not bring themselves to spend time with Josh. Seeing as he wasn’t working and still hadn’t gotten back on his feet, they felt ashamed of him and couldn’t look him in the face.

When Josh moved out to LA with Tom, he tried to reconnect with his parents again. They still rebuffed his offers to come down to see him. After a time, Josh just gave up trying. Angry at his parents’ behavior towards his baby brother, Freddy’s relationship with them became icier. Their time with their grandson went from limited to non existent. Freddy made excuses of being busy or unavailable, but his parents knew the truth. He was icing them out and they were not happy about it. It would take time to heal these strains, but that was quite a ways off. For the time being, their relationship was not good.

“Keep trying” Freddy suggested in the present time. “I’m sure they’ll come around eventually.”

“I don’t need the negativity right now” Josh replied. “I have a lot on my plate and I don’t need to add onto it. Being Tom’s manager is tough enough as it is.”

“Tough enough?!?!” Tom shrieked.

“In terms of the work load, not you.”

“Oh. Ok. Sorry.”

“Hold on one second, Freddy.”

Freddy could hear Josh moving to a more quiet space in the house.

“Sorry about that” Josh continued quietly. “He drives me fucking nuts. Therapy has been a god send for me, big brother. If I didn’t have it, I would have exploded on him so many times. He’s not a bad guy, but he’s just extremely difficult to work with. He’s lucky I have developed an empathy for people, being that I know what it’s like to get spit on and treated like shit. If I wasn’t working with him, who knows who else would.”

“You two work well together” Freddy said. “Besides, it’s not like you sleep in the same bedroom. That ranch has enough room so you each have your own space.”

“That’s a godsend, too. Even better, it’s at opposite ends of the hall. I don’t hear him or see him at night. It just makes it hard to bring girls over.”

“Just be patient. You’ll find the right one someday.”

“I know, but if we’re still living together, Tom and I, that becomes a challenge. No woman is going to want to deal with that and I don’t blame them. At some point, we may need to talk about one of us moving out.”

“Cross that bridge when you get to it. Listen, Josh, lunch is about to wrap, so I have to run.”

“But you didn’t even tell me how you’re doing?”

“I’m good, Josh, just very, very busy these days. We’re making a big difference in people’s lives and we have a lot of public initiatives coming up. Look, can we catch up more tomorrow? I have the day off and can ask Michael to give me an hour to chat with you.”

“I’ll try to reach you during lunch. We have another commercial tomorrow and I have to get up really fucking early for this shoot. 4 AM.”

“Wow, that’s crazy, but sometimes I have to get up by 5 if we have a morning funeral or some other event I have to attend. Plus, if I have to catch flights far away, I often have to get up around that time for a 6 AM flight. You’ll get through it, Josh. Just take a deep breath and—“

“I know, Freddy. I don’t need the pep talk. I just hope Tom gets his ass ready in time. The last we had one of those early morning shoots, we were almost late because he wouldn’t get up.”

“Break a leg tomorrow, Josh. I love you.”

“Oh god, don’t get all sentimental with me, Freddy.”

“I love you, Josh. I always will. You know that.”

“Yeah, yeah. I…argh…”

“I know you love me—“

“I love you too, Freddy, bye.”

Josh quickly ended the call, before Freddy looked up at Chris.

“To this day” he said “Josh gets so embarrassed about my expressing my love for him.”

“How come you never told him about…you know?” Chris asked.

“Oh, well, uh, it’s kind of a long story.”

Chris shrugged his shoulders, before they saw the advisors and staff return to their desks from their lunch break. Freddy, noticing the time, quickly finished his salad, before his secretary entered the room to take it from him.

“Afternoon Mr. Mayor” she said.

“You don’t have to keep saying that, Bebe” Freddy said. “Freddy is perfectly fine.”

“It’s just how I was raised, that’s all. Mind if I take that?”

“Sure thing. Oh, can you get the boys in blue down here, please? I’d like to have a word with them.”

“I’ll summon whoever is on duty.”

“Thank you, Bebe.”

Bebe took Fredy’s empty salad container and Chris’ sandwich wrapper and went to throw them out. A couple of minutes later, while Freddy was in the middle of a business call, the secretary quietly called out to him.

“Some of them are here to see you.”

Freddy nodded, as he worked on ending the call.

“Can I get back to you tomorrow? Actually no, I promised Michael I would spend the day with him. Sunday. Can we talk…ok great. Looking forward to it. Bye now.”

Freddy ended the call and looked up at the officers standing before him. Freddy had not hired many officers to replace the ones that had been injured, quit or had been killed in the line of duty. Instead, to the anger of some groups, he hired ten officers, to appease critics, and that was it. He couldn’t please all of them, but he worked to make sure they were men he trusted and would take a more hands off approach to policing.

Standing in his office were guys Freddy knew from high school. Though Michael had strongly disapproved of their hiring, they swore to support his agenda. They appreciated his help in getting a better pay than they were used to getting in their previous positions.

“Conrad, Harry and Lenny. How are you guys doing?”

“Great Freddy” Conrad replied. “Man, it’s so good for us to be close again. I really missed hanging out with you after all these years.”

Conrad had been the star player on their high school baseball team. He was one of the three guys who had hooked up with Sofya, fucking her vaginally, while Chris fucked her anally. After high school, Conrad was a minor league baseball player for five years, as a shortstop, before retiring when he couldn’t make it into the majors. He worked as a cop in another town, but found the pay was low and the hours were long. Freddy poached him, so long as he promised to follow his new policies and to show him that he wasn’t racist.

“Anything for a better paycheck” Conrad told Freddy at the time. “I’ll follow your orders, whatever they are.”

“You also have to try to make nice with Michael” Freddy said to him at the time he was hired.

“No sweat. Set up a time for the other guys and I have dinner with you and Michael and we’ll patch things over. Chris will help, I’m sure.”

After hiring Conrad, Freddy also got in touch with Harry and Lenny, the other football players who had been at Sofya’s house. Harry was the smooth, baby faced running back. He had grown up to be handsome and still had striking looks into his thirties. Unlike Conrad and Lenny, he had been working in construction, but found it unsatisfying. When Freddy offered him the job in his police department, with the promise of better pay, he took it eagerly.

Lenny had gotten less attractive with age, but wasn’t considered ugly. He was a wide receiver and the least popular player on the football team. After he graduated from high school, he had been working as a cop for many years. Despite feeling pride in his job, he hated the other guys he served alongside. He also hated his bosses and the agenda they set at the top. He was so thankful when Freddy had reached out to him and poached him to work in his town’s police department.

Sometime after their hirings, Freddy had a heated argument with Michael about them working for him.

“More fucking high school bullies?!” Michael exclaimed upon hearing the news. “Are you fucking kidding me?!””

“I trust them” Freddy replied “and I couldn’t just hire no one. The press is already riding my ass about all the other officers quitting. I needed guys I knew and could trust. Did you want me to risk hiring guys who would undermine my agenda? I can trust these guys to do what I tell them to.”

“They’re assholes! I can’t—“

“Michael” Chris had said, while giving him a hug. “We’ll tell you what. We’re going to invite the guys over for dinner, while Evan is with his grandma and we’ll talk things over, like adults. You’re going to find that they have changed over the years. Do you remember what you said about me when your husband first hired me?”

“Yes, I do, Chris.”

“And remember your initial hangups about it?”

“I had many.”

“Do you like me now?”

Michael nodded his head.

“Do you trust me now?”

“I guess.”

“Then trust me when I tell you that I’ve been in touch with these guys for all these years. They have changed. They aren’t the same kids they were in high school. Maybe they haven't changed to the extent that I have, but they are going to respect you, on the job and off. Will you at least hear them out, please? For me?”

“What about for me?” Freddy asked.

Chris shushed him, as he held Michael tighter in his arms.

“For your husband, too? Who you know loves you very much?”

Michael sighed, before he agreed to hear them out.

A few days later, the three new recruits came over to the house for dinner. While Michael’s grandmother watched Evan, they all sat around the kitchen table and talked over his apprehensions, while enjoying a meal Chris had prepared. Over a tense and difficult chat, the boys spoke up in their defense.

“That was so long ago” Harry said.

“Well, it’s not so long ago for me” Michael replied angrily. “I’m still hurt about what you assholes did to me in high school. It really fucked me up psychologically for all these years. It still does. It still hurts to remember what you did to me.”

“We’re really sorry about all of that, Michael” Lenny said. “We did some horrible things to you and there’s no way we ever can take back what we did.”

“If we could go back in time and stop our younger selves” Conrad added “we would. We can’t do that, though. All we can do is try to remember our place and do our best to make it up to you.”

“How do you plan to do that?” Michael asked harshly.

“We’re making several promises to you now.”

“We will have only nice things to say about you” Lenny said.

“On and off the job.”

“We will never talk trash about you.”

“Ever.”

“We will treat you with the utmost respect.”

“As you deserve. You’re a great husband for Freddy. Chris raves about you all the time.”

“We’d really like to be friends with your husband again” Harry said. “In order for us to do that, then we need to keep in your good graces. We know the deal with spouses. We each have our own.”

“I don’t” Chris said.

“But we do” Conrad said. “We know the deal.”

“Do you rag on about your wives to the other guys?” Michael asked. “About how much they nag you or what kind of bitches they are?”

“Never” Lenny replied.

“We love our wives very much” Harry said.

“I treat my wife like a queen” Conrad said.

“I don’t want you talking about the other wives either” Michael said. “Bro stuff only. No negative stuff.”

“Totally” Lenny replied.

“You should meet our spouses sometime, Michael” Conrad suggested. “I’m sure you’d get along with them.”

“I have to think about it” Michael replied. “Can I talk things over with Freddy, before I give the ok?”

The boys nodded at the time, unsure of whether they had successfully made their case. Fortunately for them, Michael, reluctantly, gave his tentative assent to Freddy.

“One slip up” Michael warned him “and they’re out.”

Eight months later, the three of them had managed to keep their jobs in uniform. In the present time, they continued their conversation with Freddy in his office.

“We missed you, pal” Harry said. “It’s nice to have our monthly poker game together.”

“Speaking of which” Chris said “when’s the next one?”

“Not sure yet” Freddy replied. “I have to see when Michael will let me out of the house.”

Freddy chuckled, but the boys did not react. They had promised Michael not to disparage him behind his back. Michael would be happy to learn that they worked diligently to keep that promise. Freddy noticed their lack of reaction and spoke up.

“What’s the matter guys?”

“You know what the matter is” Conrad replied.

Freddy thought for a moment, before he replied.

“Oh. Yeah. Well, know that if Michael could spy on us now, he’d be happy to see that you didn’t laugh along with me.”

“We really would like to keep this job” Harry said honestly.

“And still hang out with you” Conrad said.

“Plus, we promised him” Lenny said.

“I appreciate that” Freddy said with a smile.

“I’m sure he would, too” Chris said.

“So speaking of Michael, that’s why I brought you guys in here today. I wanted to know if you guys wanted to go down to the coffee shop with me before he closes up for the day. I thought to make the rounds in town this afternoon.”

Before they could respond in the affirmative, Freddy received a message from Michael on his communication device.

“Freddy” he read aloud “I have to stay late tonight. Can’t pick up Evan this afternoon. Would you mind getting him?”

“Guess that’s a no” Conrad commented.

“Not necessarily. Let me just get ready to pick up Evan first and then we’ll go down later.”

“I’ll do it” Chris volunteered. “Besides, I need to pick my dog up from dog school, anyway. I was going to ask if you if I could go.”

“Sure” Freddy replied. “Boys, would one of you mind staying with me until Chris gets back?”

“Have a preference?” Harry asked.

“Pick me” Conrad said in a humorous show of enthusiasm.

The boys laughed, as Chris left the office.

“Rock, paper, scissors for it” Freddy suggested.

The three guys laughed, as they played until they had declared a winner.

“Me” Lenny said with a goofy smile.

“Ugh, man” Conrad said, while rolling his eyes.

“When do you want to meet at the coffee shop?” Harry asked.

“I’ll ask Michael. I was going to take Evan with me after he got here from school.”

“Alright” Conrad replied. “Meet you over there, Fred.”

“See you guys.”

Conrad and Harry left the office, while Lenny stood and kept watch. Leaving the town hall building at that time, Chris made his way over to Freddy’s car in the garage. He appreciated that someone else was watching his boss, while he ran his errands. He didn’t like to leave his boss alone, in case something were to go wrong. Knowing that someone as trustworthy and honest as Lenny was there to watch Freddy made Chris feel good.

“These guys are my buds for life” Chris thought to himself, as he entered the car and then started it up.

Leaving the garage, Chris made his way to the first stop; the dog school. Making his way over there, he thought about how he ended up with his canine companion in the first place. After the former mayor was turned into a dog, Chris took him in as his pet in his apartment. The day after the events at the warehouse, a visitor from the magical world portalled into his apartment and demanded that he hand the ring back. After Chris got confirmation that it would go back to the museum, where it belonged, he handed it over and it was safely returned to the vault in Rome.

The man who had broken in to the museum twice, Victor Roshkovich, had been detained by the courts. This time, when a jury of witches and wizards found him guilty, the judge would not send him back to the prison where he had been kept before. Instead, since they could never be sure he wouldn’t try to break out again in the future, they executed him, by chopping his head off with a guillotine. Victor had swore he’d never been imprisoned again. Facing his execution day, the blade that cut off his head had ensured that his vow would be fulfilled. Though his official age was never determined, it was believed that he was close to 1100 years old.

When Victor was declared dead, a collective sigh of relief was felt by all witches and wizards of good character. The cleanup in the magical world from the aftermath of war took many decades of magical time, or around a year in Earth time, to complete. The prisoners who hadn’t been killed in battle were locked away again to where they belonged. Without the aid of a wizard as powerful Victor, the evil prisoners had no other way of breaking out again. While most of the magical world rejoiced at good declaring victory over evil and the execution of the wizard, Victor, the prisoners sobbed, defeated and stuck for in prison for magical centuries to come.

Pulling up to the dog school, Chris saw a young, enthusiastic employee wave to him.

“Hi Chris!” she yelled. “Bowser is ready to go!”

Another employee brought the Cane Corso dog, that the former mayor had become, out from the school with him. The school had replaced the kennel that had stood in this spot for decades. Strays and other abused and abandoned dogs had a home in these premises. This was a no kill shelter. All dogs who couldn’t find forever homes were kept here until they died of old age. They were always loved, cared for and watched. One employee lived in an apartment on premises to keep an eye on them at all times, as part of their employment contract.

The way that the strays could have their homes funded was the from the school that was also run on premises. Eager, working dog parents dropped their pets here everyday to be raised and trained to be good, obedient dogs. Their school was extremely popular, with long waiting lists for spots. Chris had gotten in due to his place being secured on the list months earlier. He had wanted a dog for a while. Bowser presented him the opportunity to raise a pet. When Chris was ready to send his new dog there, the spot was open and ready to receive his new pet. Bowser needed the training; seeing that he wasn’t a dog for most of his life.

“Bowser’s still a little fussy” the employee said, as he bent down and scratched the dog behind the ears.

“Don’t do that!” Devin, the former mayor, thought to himself.

Bowser barked loudly, not approving of being pet like an animal.

“Sorry about that, boy. Let’s get you to your dad now.”

The employee laughed, as he stood up and opened the car door.

“I know this breed tends to have a bad rep” the female employee said, as Bowser hopped up into the car, before she closed the door behind him “but Bowser isn’t so bad. He just needs some more time.”

“It’s fine” Chris replied. “He’s usually a good boy. I don’t know what’s up with him today.”

“He’s always a good boy” the male employee corrected.

“Sometimes he just doesn’t remember to mind his manners” the female employee insisted.

“At least he’s neutered” Chris said with a chuckle. “That helps with his temperament.”

Bowser growled, as he settled onto the floor in the back of the car. After Tom got Lady from his house on the morning after the warehouse battle, there was a very visible problem. Bowser, smelling the bitch in heat, immediately tried to have his way with her. Though there was a significant size difference, the dog did his best to breed the bitch he lusted after.

When they got back to Freddy’s house, Michael panicked when he heard the news. Immediately, the dogs were separated by force, before they all crashed for a couple hours of sleep. When they woke up, Tom went back to his house with Lady, while Chris was urged to go to the vet immediately.

“If he manages to take care of that red rocket on his groin” Michael said at the time “then we have a big problem on our hands.”

“How so?” Chris asked.

“The mayor won’t be a dog any longer.”

In a rush, they found a vet who could neuter the dog and get him the required vaccinations that afternoon. After a few more hours of rest, they had gone over and had the new dog taken care of. The former mayor had only two ways to regain his humanity; ejaculate as a dog or perform an extreme act of selfless bravery. Since option #1 was taken from him, one that didn’t end the curse, only option #2 was still available. Considering that the former mayor had always been a selfish, uncaring person as a human, he would remain in his new identity of Bowser for the foreseeable future.

The name Bowser came about because of a video game character from years ago. Although the name was not popular anymore, Chris felt it fit the persona of the man inside the dog’s body.

“I’m the Italian guy who took out the big baddie and saved the day” he thought to himself at the time he named his new dog.

Devin, the former mayor, resented his new life as Chris’ canine companion. Sitting on the floor in the back of Freddy’s car, he waited for the day that his humiliation would be over. He swore to take revenge, when the time arrived for him to do so. For now, he was stuck, forced into this situation against his will.

“Take care now, Chris” the female employee said, waving at him from outside the school’s front doors.

“Bye guys” Chris said as he waved back. “Bowser will be back bright and early on Monday.”

Bowser whined, as he sulked on the floor in the back of the car.

“Have a good weekend” Chris said, as he drove off.

The employees of the dog school happily waved goodbye, as Chris left to run his next errand. On the car ride over to Evan’s high school, Chris spoke to Bowser.

“I’m going to pick up Freddy’s son, Evan, from school now. Think you can be good?”

Bowser growled quietly, as he continued to lay on the floor.

“Don’t make me give you a time out when we go home later. I know you can understand me, Bowser. Only four people know you were ever Devin Marymount. None of them are going tell a soul.”

Bowser barked loudly, as Chris chuckled to himself.

“You got off quite lucky, if you ask me. If I had a choice between being someone’s pet or dying, I’d rather be a dog. Honestly, at least as a dog, I could bring joy to someone else’s life. If I was a little boy’s dog, that would be an amazing experience. It’s too bad the only thing you often bring me is needless aggravation.”

Bowser growled loudly.

“Why do you have to act up so much, Bowser? You know you’re a dog now, so just get over it already.”

“Easy for you to say, asshole” Devin thought to himself, as Bowser covered his eyes with his paws.

“We’re going to be at the school in about ten minutes. Be on your best behavior when he gets in the car. Don’t bare your teeth in Evan’s face again, understand me?”

“Fuck you” Devin thought to himself, as Bowser growled.

Not liking this reaction, Chris pulled the car over and turned to look at Bowser lying on the floor in the back.

“Listen, you fucking asshole” he scolded. “You’re lucky as a mother fucker that you didn’t die with all of your other cronies in that blast last year. Considering you nearly got my boss and his husband killed, and considering your actions killed a dear friend of mine, you really got off way too easy for the crimes you committed.”

Bowser barked in response.

“You were a raging, psychopathic monster in your life as a human being. Consider this a repentance for your sins. Instead of rotting in hell, where you really belong, you get to try to bring some joy to people’s lives as a lovable pet. It’s already been a year. If you can’t get used to your fate by now, then you’re going to hate the rest of your life, especially since it’ll be a lot shorter than your human one would have been.”

Bowser continued to bark in anger.

“Knock it off!”

Chris smacked Bowser on the snout, who whimpered and sank onto the floor as a result of the scolding.

“Bad Bowser! Bad dog!”

Bowser looked to the floor, refusing to meet Chris’ gaze.

“Look at me.”

Bowser continued to look at the floor.

“Look at me, I said!”

Reluctantly, Bowser looked up at him with sad, puppy dog eyes.

“I’ll tell you what. If you’re a good boy and don’t act up in front of Evan today, then I will l make you a surprise treat tonight.”

Bowser panted in anticipation.

“Steak?” Devin thought to himself, as Bowser woofed happily. “I love steak!”

“Good” Chris replied, as he rubbed Bowser’s head. “Be a good boy. We’re only a few minutes away from the school.”

Bowser nodded, as he sank back onto the floor. A moment passed, before Devin had a thought.

“Son of a bitch. I always do that shit. Why do I continue to allow myself to let these dog impulses lower my guard? I should be working on getting out of here and reporting these fucking assholes to the police. They are keeping me hostage against my will. That’s a federal offense. If my boys knew about this, these fuckers would be rotting in jail. Ugh. I guess I just have to keep waiting for an opportunity to make an escape, but this fucker has me on watch 24/7. He never lets me out of his sight, even when he’s asleep.”

Bowser groaned, as he took a brief nap. Before he knew it, the honking of the horn woke him up from his rest. Yawning, he stretched out on the floor and got up to take a look out the car window. Outside, high school students were rushing out of the doors to go home for the day. Most kids either walked home from school or took the bus. There was a significant difference in this years freshman class. Almost half the kids were non white, which was a sea change from the previous year. This was something Freddy was proud of, but got him constant criticism in the press for it. He didn’t care, as it was, in his mind, a campaign achievement, not a sign of problems to come.

Chris waited in the car, as he carefully watched the high school kids passing him by. He thought to call Evan to let him know he was there, before he spotted him lingering around with his friends. Chris rolled down his window and called out to Evan.

“Get over here!” he called out. “We have to go!”

“That’s my ride, Andrea” Evan said, as he kissed her briefly on the lips. “Got to go.”

“See you on Monday” she replied, as he walked off to the car. “Don’t forget to call me.”

“Texting might be better. My parents, you know.”

She nodded, as Evan waved to his other friends. As he walked towards the car, he noticed a weird looking kid pass by him. He was pale with black hair and black clothes. Evan had recognized him. The kid was new and had no friends. The kid gave him the creeps, so he kept his distance. Chris noticed this, as Evan made his way to the car. He was going to bring this up with him on the drive back to the town hall building. Before Evan could enter the car, however, a group of bullies came up to him.

“Where do you think you’re going?” a big, tough teenager asked in a menacing tone.

“Home, assholes” Evan replied. “Now get out of my way.”

“I don’t think so” a weaselly bully said, grabbing onto Evan’s shoulder.

Chris noticed the scene before him and got out of the car.

“Hey boys!” Chris yelled, as he ran up to them. “Knock it off!”

“Oh shit!” the weaselly bully shrieked, as he let go of Evan in fear.

“Run!” the bigger bully yelled, before the rest of them scattered.

“Get back here, you punks!” Chris yelled, as he ran up to Evan.

Evan smiled, as he looked both ways, before entering the car to take a seat.

“Thanks for the help with that” Evan said, as fastened his seatbelt. “I thought dad was coming by to pick me up, though?”

“He had to stay late” Chris replied, as got back into the car.

Evan noticed the dog looking at him from the floor below.

“Hey Bowser. How’s it going, buddy?”

Bowser growled, as Evan rubbed his furry back.

“Be nice, Bowser” Chris admonished.

Bowser whined, as Evan continued to rub him all over his body.

“Man, I wish I had a dog as cool as Bowser. He’s like a tough guy dog, you know. Not one anyone would want to mess with.”

“You’d think that” Devin thought to himself, as Bowser continued growl. “But this asshole knows how to get on my last nerve.”

“To be honest” Chris replied “if I hadn’t found him on the street with your parents, I don’t think I would have adopted him.”

Bowser whimpered, as Evan continued to scratch his back.

“I still don’t understand why dad and papa wouldn’t let me keep him” Evan said. “He’s such a cool dog.”

“Evan, he’s a lot of work. He’s not the most well behaved dog. He’s very temperamental. Besides, remember that he almost ripped your face off once.”

“I think I could get him to come around.”

“Not a chance” Devin thought to himself, as Bowser growled loudly.

“That’s so odd, though.”

“What’s odd?” Chris asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe I’m a bit crazy, but it kind of seems like the dog knows what I’m saying about him.”

“He’s just a smart dog, that’s all.”

Chris angrily eyed Bowser from the rear view mirror.

“Maybe you should have let Uncle Josh raise him, then. Give him and that guy Tom options for movie and commercial work. My friends think it’s so cool that my uncle works in show business. I know he kind of had a rough upbringing and all, but he’s really turned his life around since, you know?”

“That he has. I loved that commercial you and Buddy were in last year.”

“You mean me and my papa?”

Evan chuckled, as he continued to scratch at Bowser.

“That one” Chris replied. “It was such a hit. All of my friends from high school and college were texting me, telling me how awesome it was.”

“Nothing ever came of it after that, though. No more commercial work for me.”

“Maybe when you’ve graduated from college, you can go into acting or something?”

“There’s no way my dad is going to let me do that.”

“Hey, you never know. Your papa wasn’t going to be a politician, either, if your dad had his way. Just give him some time. I’m sure he’ll come to accept it. Plus, you have a person to hook you up with a place to stay.”

“They’re like so far away from LA, though. I’d need to be closer to where the action is.”

“At least there’s family there.”

“True. I loved that Christmas gift he got me last year. It didn’t cost a lot, but it meant so much to me.”

“The commercial?”

“That and this really cool wrist band that changes color. It never stays the same color every day. It’s some like $5 dollar store item, but it was so cool. He says he’ll get me a better gift for Christmas this year.”

“That commercial airing again?”

“Maybe. He did say it could re-air this holiday season, considering how popular it was last year. Pretty much all the old ladies in town stop me and want a picture when I’m out with my papa and dad.”

Evan chuckled, before he continued.

“Plus, the residual checks are nice. Dad stocks away 50% and he gives me the other half. I have a cool $7000 in my bank account right now. I was thinking of buying Andrea something nice for the holidays this year.”

“Has it gotten serious with her yet?”

“I guess.”

“I think you should tell your parents.”

“Why?”

“Because if it’s serious, then they have a right to know about her.”

Chris paused, before he continued.

“Plus, your papa saw you making out with Andrea this morning.”

“What?! Son of a—“

“Ahem.”

“Sorry, Chris, but wow, I totally thought we were inside when we did that. Did he ask you about her?”

“He did.”

“And?”

“I said I didn’t know anything about her” Chris lied.

“Do you think he’s going to ask me about her?” Evan asked.

“No, but you should just tell him.”

“I’ll see. Where are we going, anyway?”

“Back to the office. I’m not off duty yet and your parents are not leaving you home alone by yourself.”

“Can’t you take me to grandma’s?”

“No, she’s not home today. Besides, your papa wants to see you. Don’t you like spending time with him?”

“I do.”

“So, it’s more time to spend with him. Cherish it while you can.”

“He’ll be busy with work and stuff, though.”

“And you’ll be busy with your homework. Still, he’ll be there and will help you out if you need it.”

“I don’t know. Dad is better with my homework. What’s he staying so late at work for? He’s usually home by 3.”

“Don’t know, but your papa was asking him about it when I left.”

“Who is watching him now?”

“Lenny.”

“Amazing that papa got to hire those guys. Dad was ready to blow a gasket when he found out. I can’t blame him, to be honest. That’d be like if Andrea hired those bullies back there as her security guards. I’d probably lose it on her, too. It’s kind of weird how much I’m like my dad, even though I’m more like my papa in other ways.”

“Osmosis, I guess.”

“Biology term. Clever.”

“Heh, thanks. Listen, speaking of school, I wanted to ask you something before we arrive at your papa’s office. Have you seen that kid Nikolas, yet?”

“Ugh, Chris, why do you keep asking about him? He’s so fu—“

“Evan, language.”

“Sorry. So freaking weird.”

After Sofya had died in the blast, she, along with the others in the warehouse that night, had been reported as missing. While her husband Roberto was concerned, he ultimately didn’t care that much. Nikolas, her son, on the other hand, was deeply troubled by her disappearance. He hated his father. Though his relationship with his mother hadn’t been great up to that point, he felt that she loved him. He couldn’t say the same about his dad.

A number of months passed, before Roberto assumed that Sofya was never coming back. He fell in love with one of his mistresses and decided to sell his apartment and move in with her. She was a widow and inherited a house in Freddy and Michael’s neighborhood from her late husband. Seeing that Nikolas was ready to start high school, Roberto figured it would be better to enroll him a suburban environment, rather than the tougher urban environment of Sacramento.

Nikolas deeply resented being forced to move into the town. His father had transferred the location of his job to shorten his commute. He was home more often, which was something Nikolas detested and despised. He didn’t have any friends from Sacramento that he missed when he moved, but he didn’t like being in a suburban environment either. He liked city life. He was a city kid. When he was an adult, his plan was to go back.

Nikolas started high school a few months earlier along with Evan. His negative aura repelled people. Angry at his lot in life, Nikolas dyed his normally tanner skin a pale white. He looked like a vampire, referred to as a grave kid, graveyard kid for short. He wore all black clothes and red lip stick. Bullies, like Evan’s, would normally have picked on him, but they felt scared of the kid for some strange reason. Many were afraid he’d shoot up the school one day, so they kept their distance from him. This included Evan.

“Give him a chance” Chris suggested to Evan, before they pulled into the parking garage for the town hall building. “You might grow to like him.”

When Chris had heard that Sofya’s son was moving into town, he made many efforts to get Evan to befriend Nikolas. It would be inappropriate for him to go up to the kid as some random, grown adult. However, he hoped to use Evan as a backdoor, to see if things were ok for Sofya’s son.

Chris felt an attachment to the kid, even though they had never been formally introduced. He liked kids to begin with. Evan had suggested that, if Freddy had lost the mayoral race, that he should take a job as a gym teacher. It was something Chris had thought about, but he was happy with the job he had now. Still, besides Evan, he missed being able to nurture and help children grow into fine, upstanding adults. He thought he might pursue it someday, once Freddy’s time in office was over.

Most importantly, Chris spent many nights mourning the child of his that was never born. He had wanted a kid so badly in life. Sofya was about to bring him what he always wanted, or so he thought, before she, and the baby she carried, were taken away from him by her evil father. He resented the wizard strongly and was relieved to hear that he had been executed. However good he felt about that development, though, it didn’t take away the pain of losing his potential child.

Since Sofya was dead and Roberto was not a presence in Nikolas’ life, Chris had hoped to find a way to make himself a presence in the kid’s life. He had hoped that Evan would cooperate with him on this goal of his. So far, at least, his efforts were not bearing fruit.

“I highly doubt it” Evan replied, as Chris parked the car in the designated spot. “No one like him. Like, I know teens say all the time that no one likes someone, when clearly they are liked by someone, but in his case, not a single person likes him. All the kids hate him. All the teachers give him bad grades.”

“Oh god” Chris muttered to himself.

“Why do you even care, Chris? What’s your fascination with him, anyway? It’s kind of borderline stalkerish, if you ask me, dude.”

Chris thought for a moment to come up with an excuse. Thinking of one quickly, he gave his answer.

“I just feel bad for the kid. He’s a loner. No kid should have to spend high school by themselves. That’s why these kids have mental breakdowns, Evan. Wouldn’t you like to be the kid that prevents one? Maybe even save some lives in the process?”

“Why can’t someone else do it? Why does it have to be me?”

“Because that’s what great men do. That’s what your papa would have done when he was your age.”

“Not what dad says, but whatever.”

“Your dad has said that your grandfather would have done the same thing.”

Evan stared at Chris silently, before Chris let out a sigh.

“Think about it, ok?”

Evan nodded, before Chris pulled Bowser onto his feet.

“Come on, Bowser. Out of the car you go.”

Evan got out of the car, as Chris came behind him and pulled Bowser by the leash.

“Just warning you, Evan. Bowser might act up when we get inside.”

“Doesn’t he always?”

“Yes, but you should expect him to do it more so than usual.”

Chris’ prediction was immediately proven correct, when Bowser spotted the town hall building from the ground, as Chris and Evan walked towards it.

“My office!” Devin thought to himself, as Bowser barked loudly.

“Easy boy” Chris said, as he gently tugged on his leash.

“You weren’t kidding” Evan grumbled, as they made their way up the stairs of the town hall building.

When they got inside the building, the security guard waved them on. While Chris and Evan walked down the halls, Bowser continued to bark.

“My domain!” Devin thought to himself. “This is my kingdom! This is where I belong, as ruler of this town!”

When they approached the back offices, Bowser’s barking got louder.

“What did the commie fucker do to this place?!”

“Who is the doggy?” an advisor to Freddy asked.

“My dog, Bowser” Chris replied nervously, as Bowser continued to bark. “Stop that!”

Bowser whimpered, as the staff awed while he passed them by. When the three of them reached Freddy’s office, Devin was angered by the sight.

“Fucker!” Devin thought to himself, as he barked in Freddy’s direction. “Get out of my fucking chair, you fucking commie scumbag!”

“Woah, Chris” Freddy said, as he got up to greet him. “He’s a feisty little animal, isn’t he?”

Freddy laughed, as he scratched Bowser behind the ears. Spotting the chair, the dog dashed over and hopped up onto it. Panting happily as he surveyed the room, Chris angrily lifted him up and brought him over to his own seat.

“Bad Bowser!” Chris scolded, as he relieved Lenny of his duties. “That’s not your chair. That’s the mayor’s chair.”

“I am the mayor, you fucking asshole!” Devin thought to himself, as Bowser barked, before getting smacked on the snout.

“Bad boy! Stop doing that!”

“Hey Evan” Freddy said, as he gave his son a hug.

“Hi papa” Evan replied with a smile.

“How was school today?”

“Alright, I guess. I’m happy it’s the weekend. I’m surprised dad didn’t pick me up today.”

“He had to stay at work late today. He has a really big catering order he’s working on right now. He asked us to pop over and meet him in about an hour or so. Grandma is coming by, too.”

“Your parents?”

“No, your dad’s mother.”

“Ah, ok.”

Evan saw Freddy frown and gave him another hug.

“It’s ok, papa. I’m sure things will work out between you again soon. Give them some time.”

“You were never a big fan of them.”

“But you are. I don’t like seeing you sad, especially considering you’re such a great papa. You had Chris come and pick me up, instead of making me walk all that way home by myself. That was really thoughtful of you.”

“I would have picked you up myself, but I need to be at the office. Listen, Chris and I are going to be surprising your dad with a special dinner tonight, since he works so hard and needs a break. Think you can keep a secret?”

Evan nodded, as Freddy gave him another hug and kissed him on the forehead.

“Good” Freddy said with a sense of relief.

“I’m just looking forward to Chris cooking twice for us today” Evan said.

“I’m happy to do it for you guys” Chris replied with a chuckle.

“I just wonder if dad is going to be happy about it.”

“Considering how tired he’s going to be after how long he’s been working today” Freddy said “I predict you won’t hear a complaint out of him.”

“Maybe a complaint or two” Chris corrected “but he won’t be too difficult to persuade. He doesn’t do tired well.”

“That he does not” Evan agreed, as he pulled up a chair and started working on his homework.

A number of minutes passed by, before Freddy spoke up.

“Need some help with that?” he asked.

“I mean yeah” Evan replied “but I don’t know if you can help. Dad’s usually better with this stuff.”

“Want me to take a look?”

“Sure. Why not?”

Freddy briefly looked at the homework, before letting out a sigh.

“Nope” he said. “Can’t figure it out.”

“Let me take a crack at it” Chris said, as he pondered over it for a moment. “I think I have an idea of what’s going on here. Want me to try to explain it to you?”

“Sure” Evan replied. “Considering you were never a very good student, you sure do seem to know a lot of stuff.”

“As I’ve said before, just because I didn’t like sitting in a classroom all day, doesn’t mean I don’t like to learn.”

Chris noticed Bowser eyeing the door.

“Oh no, you don’t” Chris said, as he got up and ran before Bowser could escape.

Devin has noticed that Chris was distracted with helping Evan out with his homework. With Freddy distracted by checking his messages on his communication device, he thought that this would be an opportune time to escape.

“Now’s my chance” Devin thought to himself, as Bowser tiptoed over to the door.

Before Bowser could escape, Chris stopped him in his tracks.

“No no no” Chris said, as Buddy growled, while being tugged on his leash. “You’re not going anywhere, Bowser.”

Bowser growled, as Chris held his leash tightly. The staffers looked concerned, as Chris brought the dog back into Freddy's office. Holding Bowser tightly on his leash, Chris worked with Evan on the homework, while Freddy finished up his business for the day. When Freddy got a message from Michael, he stopped doing his work and motioned for Chris and Evan to stand up.

“He’s ready for us now” Freddy said, as he walked over to the exit. “Time to go. Bebe?”

“Yes Mr. Mayor” she replied, noticing him walking past her.

“Have the boys in blue meet me over at the coffee shop right away.”

“Yes, Mr. Mayor.”

Bebe went to send them the message on her communication device, while Chris and Evan closely followed Freddy behind, with Bowser in tow.

“Maybe Bowser just needs a little walk” Evan suggested. “He’s probably a bit restless.”

“They do exercise him at the dog school” Chris replied. “He’s just a very temperamental dog. His breed has a bad rep to begin with. Bowser doesn’t work very hard to disprove the stereotype.”

Bowser growled, as Freddy laughed.

“He probably just needs some fresh air” Freddy said. “It ought to do him so good, won’t it boy?”

“Fuck you commie!” Devin thought to himself, aa Bowser continued to growl. “You stole my job and my life. Don’t fucking act all cutesy with me, you slimy piece of shit. I will become human again someday. When I do, you’re going to pay for this humiliation I have had to endure at your hands.”

When they stepped outside the town hall building, Chris tried to go to the car, but Freddy stopped him.

“Let’s walk over there” Freddy suggested. “We could all use the fresh air. Plus, it saves the environment.”

Chris nodded nervously, as he walked with Freddy, Evan and Bowser from the town hall building to the coffee shop in the center of town. Chris hated doing this, considering that his boss was always stopped on his walks. Freddy talked to everyone he saw who approached him, giving them his full and undivided attention. As usual, residents spotted him and came up to them to chat. They asked him how he was doing, asked for help fixing their problems, debated him politically and thanked him for his work. One old lady gave Evan a warm smile.

“I’ve seen you in that dog commercial, young man” she said.

“Thanks” Evan replied.

“You and that dog were so cute together. You looked like you had a lot of fun on set that day.”

“He did” Freddy replied, as he placed his supportive hands on his son’s shoulders. “I just wish I could have been there to see it.”

Evan smiled at his papa, knowing that Freddy had, in fact, been there on that day. In fact, he had starred in the commercial alongside him, but hardly anybody knew about it. They wouldn’t believe it if they were told the truth, anyway.

“Maybe he’ll get another commercial some day.”

“I’d really like that” Evan replied “but uncle Josh hasn’t gotten anybody to come up here to do another shoot.”

“What a shame. That was such an exciting day in our town. Even if it ended up going a little haywire towards the end, it was certainly a day we’ll always remember.”

“Uncle Josh says that when I’m older, that I should move down to LA with him.”

“We’ll talk about that when you’re older” Freddy replied, as he moved his son along. “For now, your priority is your studies.”

“Yes papa.”

“Have a nice day, gentleman” the old woman said. “Keep up the great work, Freddy. Don’t let those nasty reporters get you down.”

“I try not to” Freddy replied with a smile. “Thank you, Mrs. Mulgrew.”

The old woman nodded, as Freddy continued to make his way towards where Michael was working at the moment. Once Freddy was sworn into office, Michael had noticed that his husband wasn’t the only one who was busier. His son, Evan, was starting to get restless and wanting to spend more time with his friends. Soon, as Evan became a teenager that summer, his desire to separate himself from his parents became more apparent.

During this transitional time, one that Michael had warned Freddy was coming, he felt that it was about time to figure out what he wanted to do with his life. For the life he had lived up until this point, Michael had followed a plan set out by others. He lived according to his parents wishes, particularly his father’s wishes, as a teenager and a young adult. When his father had died, he was lost for a few years, until he adopted Evan. When raising him, his life revolved around him. Now that he was older, he entered that lost period again.

Michael had considered the idea of adopting another child, but ultimately decided against it. Evan didn’t need more competition for his attention and Freddy wouldn’t want the added distractions in his new role as mayor either. Deciding it was time to go back into the work force, Michael had thought to apply to some jobs at various internet companies. Unfortunately, he found that, though they knew of his work at iThink, now that it had been leaked to the press, without him having to say it, he had been out of the game for so long, that they felt his skills weren’t relevant anymore.

Michael couldn’t speak about his experiences when he first got thrown out of iThink. Now that employers knew of what he had done and been responsible for, he had been out of the game for so long, that he now lacked current experience to keep up with the demands of the jobs being offered today. Michael was in a catch 22 situation, if you will. Damned if he did and damned if he didn’t. It was something he deeply resented, before he gave up on his fruitless pursuit.

Feeling dejected from all the rejections, Michael was about to give up hope of working again, when an opportunity presented itself at just the right moment in his life. Walking around their town on a Sunday morning, with Freddy and Evan and a gaggle of reporters following them, they came across the old coffee shop that they used to frequent as teenagers.

“We used to come here all the time” Michael noted with a chuckle.

“That we did” Freddy replied.

They had recognized the owner, who was an elderly man in his 80’s. He looked up at them and waved them inside. Once the three of them entered, keeping the reporters at bay, he gave them the bad news, which was actually good news for him. He was retiring that next month, as he was moving out of state for a lower cost of living and better weather. He was sad that he couldn’t find anyone to buy the coffee shop from him and didn’t like the idea of leasing it. It was too much work to do, from such a long distance away. He wanted the shop out of his hands, but worried that the right buyer would never come along.

Michael immediately saw this an opportunity. To the surprise of Freddy, he offered to buy the coffee shop from the old man right on the spot. $2 million exchanged later and Michael was now the owner of the coffee shop they had frequented in their youth.

“That was quite an expensive purchase back there” Freddy noted after it was done. “You sure this is a good idea?”

“I know what I’m dong” Michael replied confidently, as reporters continued to follow them around. “I have some ideas in mind.”

Michael had always been a nitpicker. He was someone who saw how things could be done better than they had been in the past. It’s how he helped make iThink the successful platform it later became. That acumen would prove handy in his plan to make the coffee shop modern, more accessible to the public and more profitable than ever. Immediately after purchasing it, the old man gave him a 30 day transition period to take over. Once that was over, he was leaving the state for good.

After the transition period, with time for Michael to gather up more capital, he began work on making improvements to the shop. He hired a construction crew to change up the interior facade; opening up more seating space and giving the dining area more natural sunlight. He upgraded the kitchen to have the new appliances and turned everything over to digital. He also changed the shop name, to “Stay or Go Coffee and Bakery.”

“It’s for the casual diner” Michael said to Freddy about his ideas at the time “or the on the go worker. It appeals to everyone, giving me a bigger range of customers to appeal to.”

Michael also had the construction crew build an outside window, so that those on the go could order outside and those inside could order for the table separately. It would speed up order times, in his estimation, and allow him to serve as many customers as possible.

“Time is money” he said.

While the crew worked on the changes, which took about a month to complete, Michael began tinkering with the recipes that the old man had handed over to him. When the business changed hands, he pored over what the old man had left him to read. Some of the recipes he kept as they were, but others required him to played around with them. He substituted ingredients, added new items and worked with cooking times to get things baked faster than they had been in the past.

Michael used his husband and son as his personal taste tasters. Michael went off of their approval or disapproval for changes, before he solidified them. Chris also took some of the food home to try and gave his genuine thoughts and suggestions on what to better. Once Michael had gotten the new menu down to where he was comfortable, he changed the items on the display behind the counter to reflect his own personal stamp on the shop.

Before opening day several months ago, Michael had to evaluate the staff the old man left behind. It was bare bones, with most of the employees too old to keep working at the pace he’d need them to for the business to become successful. Although he felt bad about laying them off, he needed workers who were going to follow his new recipes and not challenge him on doing the things the way they were done before he took over. During his hiring process to replace these older employees, Freddy made a request of Michael.

“Please hire those who have been having a tough time getting employed.”

“You mean hire criminals” Michael replied.

“The unemployed.”

“What kind of crimes are we talking about?”

“Those who have gotten out of prison and can’t get other jobs. It’s one of my big initiatives this year. I’d really appreciate it if you helped cooperate with me on this.”

“Ugh. Fine, but in the kitchen only, not as the serving staff or the cashiers.”

“I can’t grant you the tax credits for the ones you don’t hire, though.”

“I don’t care about that, Fredy. The success of this business matters more than getting a fucking tax credit. If the shop does well enough, then I don’t mind paying the extra taxes. If that means I can hire who I want, then that’s what I’d prefer to do.”

To please Freddy, as Michael was often apt to, he did his best to hire those who had been previously incarcerated and homeless where he could fit them. He made hires for them in the cooking staff and in the cleaning positions. Michael was relatively impressed with the people he chose, when they began to work for him full time.

“You know” he thought to himself, while evaluating their work one day “they aren’t so bad after all. Granted, I never would have given these guys a second glance, if I hadn’t been getting the tax credit from Freddy and the town. However, these people have really stepped up to the plate. I’m quite impressed with their work so far.”

Opening day at the new “Stay or Go Coffee and Bakery” shop was a few months ago. With some helpful, word of mouth reviews and some cheap advertising, Michael was able to grow his new business quickly. Almost overnight, the lines were out the door. From the breakfast rush to the reservations for lunch that were booked up for months, the business became a booming success. Michael had now become the new talk of the town. It served as some of Freddy’s only positive press during his time as mayor. It also happened to get the attention of an old friend of his in the process.

The scene inside the coffee shop that afternoon was hectic. The store was closed for the day, but the work was still going on. Every morning, Michael woke up at 5 AM to get ready to head down the coffee shop for the morning rush. He got in just before 6, to open up for the day and greet the lines of customers already lined up, waiting and ready to be served inside and outside. His staffers were there as soon he got out of bed, working on cleaning up and getting ready to take on the morning rush of customers. When 6 AM hit on the dot, the counters and outside window opened to sea of hungry customers.

Orders were taken quickly, many of them received digitally for pickup. The kitchen staff, which Michael had recently expanded to accommodate the rush of customers, worked tirelessly and speedily to make sure every order was cooked, poured or prepared with care and quality. Customers were almost always left satisfied, save for the few who were eternal complainers. Michael never understood why these people kept coming back for more, but he didn’t really care.

“As long as I’m getting their business, then who cares, really.”

Michael was always gracious and warm, especially with the regulars who shopped often or made big orders. Transitioning from breakfast was the equally busy lunch hour. Less people took their food to go, which Michael was working on to improve those numbers. The lunch service inside the shop was packed for months at a time. It was so popular, that reservations had to be made months in advance just to get inside the door. The lines of people outside the shop waited in delight for some of the best food they’ve ever eaten in their lives.

To make the process fairer for everyone, Michael limited how many times a person could reserve at table. One reservation per month was the policy, so that everyone in town could get a chance to eat there. It didn’t always please the regulars, but it did endear him to new customers, who always appreciated how hard he worked to attract their business. His lunch got rave reviews from the press, who ate there on a regular basis. Freddy had asked him to put pressure on them to give his mayorship better coverage while they ate, but Michael wouldn’t do it.

“I think my actions speak for themselves” Michael would say. “Besides, you look good because you’re married to me. I always hype you up, even when they don’t ask me to.”

On this particular afternoon, just after closing time, Michael was hustling his staff along to get working on a big order.

“This is a big moment for our shop!” Michael yelled out to his kitchen staff. “She’s going to be here any minute! Let’s hurry up, please!”

Out of the blue in the last few days, Diya Ramesh, his former best friend, reached out to him. She had heard about his new coffee shop, as she had seen a news segment raving about it. She wanted to check it out for herself and see if what they were saying was true. She had one of her staffers bring back the food, which she reheated to perfection using new reheating technology in her office. It made cold food warm again, without sacrificing any of the quality. Loving the breakfast pastries and coffee her staffer brought so much, Diya wanted her whole company to try it as well.

As a request, she had asked Michael if he was able to cater for a gathering to take place at iThink's headquarters. She was planning to show his food off to a small group of senior executives. In her mind, considering her company employed almost a million people worldwide, “small” for her meant 500 people. Michael wasn’t so sure about the idea, considering he had never had his staff cater an order that large before. Seeing as they cooked in smaller quantities for more customers, their goal was to make things with a personal touch for each person who ordered from them. However, for the price tag Diya was offering, a cool $500,000, which shocked Michael immensely when he heard her say it, he knew he could pull it off, with the help of his devoted staff. Paying some of his workers to stay late that afternoon and giving them some extra vacation days as an added incentive, the crew that remained behind, two cashiers and the vast majority of the cooks, scrambled to have the order ready by the time Diya was set to arrive at the shop.

“Let’s go!” Michael yelled again, as the first of the dishes were carefully placed into boxes, ready to be handed off to Diya and her staff when they arrived.

Michael planned to give Diya a whole feast for her small group of iThink executives. He was sending her his specially made chocolate donuts, ham and cheese pastries, fresh pretzels, sour dough bread, fruit stuffed pastry balls, tomato bread and kale and pesto logs. Along with this, he had brewed several gallons of coffee, his best brew, with the best beans they had available on order. Michael knew that Diya would be impressed with the order. Although he wondered what this meant for them in the future, in terms of a potential partnership, he was just happy to get the cash at the moment. The staff was happy for the extra pay and the vacation time. It worked out for all the parties involved, so it was bound to be a success.

Sitting inside the coffee shop, watching the mad scramble unfold before her, was Michael’s mother. Michael had picked Evan up from her house a few days after the events at the warehouse. He and Freddy needed two days to recover and catch up on their lost sleep. They were so tired and weren’t ready to have Evan back in their house again just yet. Once they felt they were comfortably rested, they took Evan off of her hands, though she didn’t see him staying with her as a problem at all.

Michael had tried to get his mother to consider moving to a smaller place after election day, but she would not budge. She wanted to be at her grandson’s beck and call. Seeing that he was going to be a teenager, she feared that he would not spend much time with her anymore. Being so far away would strain their relationship too much, in her personal estimation. She saw how little time he spent with his other grandparents. She didn’t want to end up in the same boat as them.

One of the advantages of Michael’s mother staying put in town, in his childhood home, was that she went to the coffee shop every day for breakfast. As the lunch reservation policy was what it was, she showed up in the morning, occasionally sticking around for the lunch service when she was allowed to reserve a table for herself and her friends. She didn’t overstay her welcome, seeing as she still had a life and other things to attend to throughout the day. However, for when she could be there, she was there. She was always smiling brightly, often recognized by the other regular patrons of the shop.

Michael had asked his mother to show up to the coffee shop that afternoon as both a show of moral support and a comfort for how nervous and stressed he was feeling in that moment. He hadn’t seen Diya since their fateful meeting last April. He knew Diya would want to catch up with him, but he wasn’t interested in doing so, nor did he have the time, even if he wanted to. He needed his mother’s support to get through this, along with his husband, who he asked to come by with Evan.

“Plus” Michael had texted Freddy earlier “it’ll get your name in the press for something positive for a change. It’ll be the first time you and Diya have seen each other since the donation a year and a half ago. That’s a big story that’s sure to get some airplay.”

As the order was getting packed, ready to hand over to Diya and her staffers, Michael stood by his mother and gently held her hand. She squeezed it back and gave him a warm smile.

“It’s going to go great” she said assuringly.

“I don’t know” Michael replied nervously. “I haven’t seen her in a year and a half. A lot has happened in that time and I know she’s going to want to catch up. I don’t really have any interest in it. I would have just turned down this order, but it was so much cash. I really couldn’t afford to say no. It’s like 1/5 of what I spent on the place. The overhead now will be very profitable for me.”

“You did what you had to do for others, like you often do. Jut as you reached out to Diya to help Freddy during his campaign, you took her order to help your staff and employees. You are very selfless at times and it’s one of your many great qualities.”

“Thanks, mom.”

“Come down here and give me a kiss.”

Michael leaned down and gave his mother a kiss on the cheek. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and patted him on the back. When he got back up, he spotted three men entering the coffee shop.

“Oh great” Michael muttered to himself, as Conrad, Harry and Lenny entered in their uniforms.

“Hi Michael” Lenny said with a smile.

Out of the three of them, the one Michael felt most comfortable with was Lenny. He was the nicest of the guys and the one who had made a genuine attempt to be friendly towards him. Though he was a mean kid, he had mellowed with age. Lenny was the only one who Michael could say he genuinely liked as a person.

“Hi Lenny” Michael replied. “What are you guys doing here? Is there a problem?”

“No problem” Harry answered.

“Your husband asked us to stop by” Conrad replied. “He didn’t say why.”

“Oh” Michael replied. “Well, you’ll find out shortly. Is he on his way over now?”

“He said he was” Lenny replied.

“Mind if we sit down?” Conrad asked.

Michael shrugged his shoulders, which they took as a yes. Going over to his mother, they pulled up some chairs and sat down at her table.

“Hello Mrs. Scavolini” Conrad said.

“Hello Conrad” she replied coldly.

“How have you been doing these days?”

“Fine.”

“We see you every morning when we come by for coffee” Lenny said.

“Though we never have enough time to go inside to say hello” Harry noted.

“Hm, that’s nice” she replied, not wanting to engage in conversation with them.

Michael’s mother was of a similar mindset to her son. She didn’t like these guys. She remembered how awful they were in high school and still hadn’t forgiven them for what they had done to her son. Michael still had his bitter feelings as well, but put them aside for Freddy’s sake and also because they had made a genuine attempt to be nice to him. His mother would take longer to let her guard down with them, but she would, over time.

“Still living in town these days?” Conrad asked.

“Yes” she replied.

“My mother is a bit tired” Michael said as an excuse for her lack of desire to talk. “She’s not very chatty right now.”

“Ah ok” Conrad replied. “Want us to escort you home later?”

“I’d rather you didn’t.”

Conrad shrugged his shoulders.

“Suit yourself. I was just offering to help.”

“I appreciate it, though. Thank you.”

In that moment, as the staff worked tirelessly to have the order ready in time, another group of people entered the coffee shop. This time, it was Freddy, Evan, Chris and Bowser.

“Hi dad” Evan said.

“Hi Evan” Michael replied. “Chris, no dogs in the store. You know the rule.”

“Right” Chis replied, as Bowser tried to run towards the food that hit his enhanced sense of smell on his nose. “Sorry about that, Michael. Bowser, bad dog. Those treats aren’t for you.”

Chris led Bowser out of the shop, which was a struggle, while Evan went over to give Michael a hug.

“How come you’re staying so late today?” Evan asked.

“There’s a big order for a big customer” Michael replied. “I asked you and your papa to come by because I think you should be here when they arrive.”

“Good afternoon, my love” Freddy said, as he gave Michael a big kiss on the lips. “Not tiring yourself too much, are you?”

“A little bit, but the staff is really the one doing most of the hard work. I’m just barking out orders.”

“Your work is as valuable as anyone’s. Without you, they wouldn’t have the jobs they have…possibly any job, to tell you the truth, based on some of their histories.”

“You’re lucky I’m so generous and willing to give people a chance, then. I’ve had to do it so many times…like with these three here.”

The three guys laughed, as Freddy went over to say hello.

“Great to see you again” Freddy said.

“So soon?” Conrad asked sarcastically with a laugh.

Freddy lightly punched Conrad on the shoulder, who let out a hearty laugh in response.

“Thanks for coming down here, guys. With the potential for a bit of pandemonium, it’d be nice to have some back up to keep things orderly.”

“Our pleasure” Lenny said.

“Actually, that’s our job” Harry corrected “but still, we’re happy to work for you. You might be the best boss I’ve ever had.”

Freddy smiled, before making his way over to Michael’s mother.

“Irene” he said, as he bent down and kissed her on the cheek. “How is the best mother in law in the whole wide world?”

“Great, Freddy” she replied. “I came down here to give Michael my moral support. He’s not showing it, but he’s really nervous right now. He could use the presence of people who love him to help him get through this.”

“What’s the problem, exactly?” Harry asked.

“You’ll find out soon enough” Michael replied, as he kept the order packing process moving along.

“Ok” Conrad replied, as he put his hand on Harry’s shoulder. “No need to razz him, Harry.”

“I wasn’t” Harry replied defensively. “I was just genuinely curious.”

A few minutes later, the staff had just finished packing, when they heard a loud noise outside of the shop.

“What the hell is that?” a cashier asked.

The three guys quickly stood up, before they walked outside to check out the noise.

“She’s here” Michael noted nonchalantly.

“How could you tell?” Freddy asked, as he walked out of the shop with Michael by his side.

“Mind if I stay in here?” Michael’s mother asked him. “My knees have been acting up on me today. I don’t want to walk too much.”

“Sure mom” Michael replied, as he motioned Evan over to join them.

When the three of them stepped outside of the shop, a large crowd had already gathered around to take in the sight in the sky. In a scene right out of a movie, a helicopter hovered in the air, as a ladder was thrown down on the ground. Climbing down with ease was Diya, followed by several of her staffers.

“It’s Diya Ramesh!” one of the town’s residents exclaimed, as they all gathered around to see her.

The officers assembled at the scene, including Freddy’s friends, gently kept the crowds back. Diya smiled and waved, before making her way over to greet Michael.

“You certainly know how to make an entrance” Michael noted to her.

“What can I say?” Diya replied. “It’s the flare for the dramatics in me. I never did things the old fashioned way.”

“True.”

The two of them gave each other a warm hug, as her staffers made their way inside of the coffee shop.

“It’s good to see you, Michael” Diya said.

“Thank you so much for this order” he replied, as he let go of his embrace and walked her inside the shop. “You should come in and check out what I did with the place.”

As they walked inside, Diya had a smirk planted across her face.

“Very nice” she said with genuine enthusiasm in the tone of her voice. “And before you ask, no, that was not sarcasm. That was a just genuine expression of impression. I like the aesthetics on the place and how you upgraded the appliances. You expanded out the dining area and added that really nifty to go window out front. You really do have the business acumen in you after all.”

“What can I say?” Michael replied. “That Harvard education was good for something, at least.”

Diya laughed, as she pointed towards the kitchen.

“Ah, Michael, you’re so funny. Show me the kitchen area. I want to meet the staff and thank the guys and girls who made this order possible.”

“Oh, before who do that, some hellos should be exchanged. Diya, you remember Freddy.”

“How could I forget?”

Diya smiled, as she shook Freddy’s hand.

“Congratulations on your victory last year, Mr. Mayor” she said. “I always knew you could do it.”

“That’s very nice of you” Freddy replied. “I never got to say it to you in person, but I really, really owe it to you for making it possible. Without you, this would not have happened.”

“I heard your shout out to me in your speech during your inauguration. I know the crowd didn’t give the reaction that I would have liked, but I appreciated the shoutout from you when I saw it live.”

“Next time, when I am planning to run for re-election, I’ll invite you to the campaign launch.”

“When’s that happening? I’d like to be there when it occurs.”

“Not sure yet, actually. I’ll have to get back to you on that one.”

“That’s kind of a ways off” Michael said, as he continued to move her around room. “Let’s focus on the present. Diya, this is my son Evan.”

“Evan” she replied, as she looked him over with a smile. “You’re Daniel’s kid.”

“Don’t remind me” Evan grumbled in reply.

A few months after the election, Chris continued to nag Michael to tell Evan the truth about his biological parents. Finally, before Chris threatened to do it himself, Michael sat his son down one night and gave him a summary over how he came to be adopted. When they got to the part about his birth, Michael became sentimental.

“That nine month period was so hard for us” Michael had said to Evan at the time. “It was hard on your biological mother and it was hard on your papa and I as a couple. I had fought so hard to adopt you, as I was afraid of what would happen to you if I didn’t. My dad fought to keep me and I fought to keep you in his honor. He had only died less than a year earlier, so his memory was fresh on my mind. Freddy wasn’t so sure, seeing as you were my high school bully’s kid. I wanted to raise a child and I wanted you to have a loving home. You deserved parents who would love you unconditionally. I felt we could give you that.”

“Does papa love me, though?” Evan asked.

“Of course he does! It took some time for him to adjust, but he grew to love you. I just happened to love you as soon as you were born. I remember the first time I laid eyes on you in the hospital. I gave you so many kisses and held you so tightly. Besides your papa, I never loved anyone else in the same way. When we got you home when the adoption was complete, I put you in your crib and just bawled hysterically as you went to sleep. I was so happy that we were going to be parents for the first time.”

“What was papa’s reaction like?”

“You kind of cried whenever he held you.”

“I did?”

“Yup, so that, plus the whole issue of who your father was, turned him off for a while. You should know that papa has gotten over that now.”

“Do you think he worked all those hours as a public defender as a way of getting away from me?”

“I don’t think so, to be perfectly honest with you. He just gets so caught up on feeling like he needs to be superman, that he neglects those who are closet to him, including me. I think, shockingly enough, being mayor and being closer to home now has made him see where his priorities need to lie.”

Evan reluctantly took Diya’s hand to shake in the present time. She smiled warmly at him as he did so.

“Very nice to meet you, young man” she said. “I’ve heard nothing but great things about you.”

“Thank you” Evan replied quietly.

Diya nodded, as she made her way over to Michael’s mother.

“Irene” she said, as she went over and shook her hand. “It’s been so long. I can’t even remember the last time I saw you. Probably when—“

“Ahem” Michael coughed.

“Oh, sore subject. Never mind. Still, very nice to see you again.”

Michael’s mother said nothing in response. She simply nodded her head with a weak smile.

“And who are these guys?” Diya asked, as the three officers entered the coffee shop.

“Wow” Conrad said. “If you had told me yesterday that Diya Ramesh was going to come into town in a helicopter, I never would have believed it.”

“She should have asked for a permit first” Harry grumbled.

“Guys” Michael said. “You know who this is. Diya, these are Freddy’s new officers, or some of them anyway. Lenny, Harry and Conrad.”

“Oh” Diya replied, as she shook their hands. “Yeah, you guys were a bunch of jerks in high school. Very racist too, if I remember correctly. Michael, I thought the whole point of Freddy’s campaign was to—“

“We’re not like that anymore” Lenny replied in their defense.

“We’ve grown up as people” Conrad said. “As men, we treat everyone with respect.”

“It helps that Freddy doesn’t have us looking to fill quotas or chase tickets to raise revenue” Harry admitted honestly. “That makes a huge difference.”

Diya looked at Freddy warily and then turned to Michael.

“They’ve been good so far” Michael replied honestly. “I didn’t want Freddy to hire them either, to tell you the truth. The problem was he needed guys he could trust not to sabotage his overall agenda. These guys have gotten no complaints from any of the new minority residents in town who have moved in, so I’m apt to give them a chance.”

“Our town now has a 20% minority rate, up from 1% just a year ago” Freddy noted.

“Plus” Michael added “half the freshman class in Evan’s high school is now non white.”

Diya gave him a skeptical look, before Conrad spoke up.

“Listen, Diya. I know we did some shitty, awful things in high school. We said a lot of racist shit that wasn’t very nice. Growing up and seeing the world has opened our eyes a bit. We’re not those guys anymore. We respect everyone and give everyone a chance.”

“That’s what the boss wants” Harry said “so we’re inclined to follow orders. Freddy’s a good guy, the best boss we’ve ever had and one of our best friends.”

“We’re not going to do anything to piss him off.”

Diya wasn’t totally convinced of their intentions, not even with Freddy’s warm smile as an assurance. The only thing that lowered her apprehension at all was Michael. He was more inclined to show his emotions on his sleeve. His look immediately communicated to her that they deserved the chance to prove themselves. If he felt inclined to support them, then she had no reason not to.

“Very well” Diya replied reluctantly. “Michael, let’s go see the kitchen staff now.”

“Right” he replied, as he led her into the kitchen.

“This is where our town’s new hiring policies have paid off” Freddy said to her, as they entered the kitchen.

Standing in a lineup, waiting to greet Diya, were ten of the thirty cooks hired to work in the kitchen. Diya said hello to them all and shook their hands. They introduced themselves to her on an individual basis. Entering the kitchen were the two cashiers who had stayed late to help with the order. They briefly introduced themselves to Diya, before they went back to assisting her staff with loading the order into the helicopter.

“Every single one of these guys has served a prison sentence” Freddy said. “One of my policy initiatives is to help reintroduce previously incarcerated people into the work force and the community, to become productive members of society.”

“Great to hear” Diya replied with a smile.

“Our lives have been so hard” a kitchen staffer confessed. “It’s through our boss, Michael, that we’ve been able to turn our lives around. He gave us a chance to prove ourselves, when no one else would.”

“We wouldn’t be employed without him” another kitchen staffer added.

Diya turned to Michael and smiled in his direction. He blushed at hearing the compliments from his staff, so he clammed up a bit. Freddy spoke up in his place.

“Michael appreciates the words of support. You know, Diya, you should consider having such a policy initiative at your company. If iThink were to open up their positions to people like the staff here at ‘Stay or Go Coffee and Bakery,’ then it would get a lot of attention and see other companies of your size take a chance on people like them who need one.”

“I’ll consider it” Diya replied. “I think the problem is that most of the jobs I am looking to fill right now require advanced computer technology degrees or high level masters in business or law. That requires having an education.”

“You can always help fund a scholarship program for people like us” one kitchen staffer suggested.

“Or let some of our friends work in your kitchen or by cleaning the grounds” another one suggested.

“I will talk to HR about it” Diya said, as she nodded to them and walked out of the kitchen.

Making their way back to the front entrance, a rush of residents were held back by the officers outside the door. When they walked outside, Michael nudged Diya over to say hello to Chris.

“This is Freddy’s bodyguard” Michael said.

“Chris D’Salvo” he said, as he shook Diya’s hand. “I’ve been working with Freddy for a little more than a year now. Your donation made my job possible.”

“That’s very nice of you to say” Diya replied.

“That’s the honest truth” Michael noted.

“And who is this dog?”

Diya bent down and rubbed Bowser on the back. Devin thought to bark, but Bowser’s leash was tugged tightly as a warning.

“This is my dog Bowser” Chris replied. “Be careful though, Diya. He’s a bit temperamental. I’d keep a little distance from him if I were you.”

Diya stood up, just as Bowser began to bark loudly.

“You weren’t kidding about that” she noted with a frown. “What’s up with that?”

“It’s the breed” Chris replied. “He makes a good attack dog, for when Freddy faces a threat.”

“Good dog to have on hand, then. My security team should consider having them around.”

“Fuck you!” Devin thought to himself, as Bowser continued to bark at her loudly. “If it wasn’t for you, you fucking bitch, I wouldn’t be stuck on all fours like this! Fu—“

Chris smacked Bowser on the snout, who whimpered quietly in response.

“He’ll behave now” Chris said to Diya. “Hopefully.”

“Just so you know” Michael said to Diya “Chris went to high school with us.”

“He did?” Diya asked, not recognizing him in that moment.

“I look a little different these days” Chris replied, as he scratched at his beard. “With my bald head and this beard, most people from high school don’t recognize me.”

“How did we know you?”

“I was a friend of Freddy’s. I was on the—“

“Oh. So, you’ve changed too, I guess.”

“100%. I’m a totally different man now.”

Diya looked at Michael, who gave her a warm smile. Unlike his reaction to the other officers, who she still had her reservations about, she could tell that Michael genuinely liked Chris. He gave a shudder of excitement, which was an indication to her that there was more to his smile than just mere approval of his work on behalf of his husband. She wondered about this to herself.

“Did they do it together?” she thought to herself, as Michael smiled brightly in her direction. “I always thought Michael would stay faithful to Freddy. Did he and Chris---”

“We have to get back to headquarters now, Ms. Ramesh” a staffer of Diya’s said to her.

“Hold on a second” she replied back, as she snapped out of her thoughts.

Diya waved to the crowd and gave a brief hello to all of those surrounding her. She said goodbye to Freddy, Evan, Chris and the other officers, before she whispered into Michael’s ear.

“Call me sometime, please. We should really catch up in a more proper setting than this madhouse right here.”

Michael did not give a reaction, as they embraced in one last hug. Seeing her off, Diya climbed back up into the helicopter, as the residents waved goodbye to her. While the helicopter lifted up into the air, to head back to the iThink headquarters in Sacramento, Michael ignored a gaggle of reporters trying to ask him questions about what had just taken place.

Going back into the coffee shop, Michael helped his mother get up from her seat. He offered to take her home, seeing as she looked kind of tired in that moment. She graciously accepted his offer of a ride, but worried about what to do with the car she came in and who would take her vehicle back to her house.

“I’ll take it” Conrad volunteered.

“That’s very nice of you, Conrad” Michael’s mother replied, as they walked over to where she was parked. “Thank you.”

“Freddy” Michael called out to him in the mad rush outside the coffee shop. “Meet me back at the house. Take Evan home, please.”

“You got it” Freddy replied.

When Michael left his sight, Freddy engaged in conversation with residents who had assembled there. The coffee shop staff locked up the doors for the evening, as Evan became impatient waiting for his papa to leave. Away from the action, Michael walked with Conrad and his mother to where their cars were parked.

The businesses in town had a separate parking lot for employees and other workers. In addition, Freddy had set up a new bus system in town. This allowed those who lived out of town or didn’t have a car to commute in and out of the town center. The parking lot and the bus stop were all congregated in the spot they were heading towards. It had been vacant space before. It became more hectic after the construction was completed.

Walking through the masses of minority workers waiting to go home from work at the bus stop, the three of them made their way to the parking lot. When they got there, Conrad helped Michael’s mother into her son’s car and then helped her fasten her seatbelt securely. When he was done settling her in, he closed the door and turned to face Michael.

“What’s your mother’s address?” he asked.

Michael sent the address to Conrad’s communication device. Conrad nodded and plugged it into his GPS app.

“Sorry if Diya gave you a hard time back there, Michael” Conrad said. “That was something else, I have to say.”

“I appreciate the money she paid for it” he replied. “All of my staffers do too. Plus, the extra vacation days will come in handy for them.”

“Listen, Michael, I wanted to talk to you one on one before you go home today. Do you mind?”

“Uh, ok. Sure. Can it wait until after we get my mother home first?”

“Ok. Let’s talk when we get there.”

Conrad nodded, as he walked over to Michael’s mother’s car and settled himself inside. He waited until Michael left the parking lot in his car, before following the vehicle closely behind. Freddy finally managed to extract himself from the crowds, as he made his way back to his car by his office with Evan, Chris and Bowser in tow. On the walk back over to the town hall building to go home for the day, Evan began to complain.

“It’s so far. Why didn’t you just drive us over there? And why didn’t dad have anything for me to eat? I’m so hungry.”

“Exercise is good for you” Freddy replied with an enthusiastic smile. “Plus, you’ll be getting a feast tonight.”

“Dinner is going to be a good one” Chris added with a chuckle.

“Well, why didn’t you let me go with dad?” Evan asked.

“You could have” Freddy replied.

“You just never asked” Chris added.

Evan moaned, as the two of them rubbed his shoulders with their hands.

“Cheer up, buddy” Chris said. “It’s not that much farther now.”

“Plus” Freddy added “no one has come up to us yet.”

Evan sighed, as they continued their walk over to the parking garage by the town hall building. On his drive to his mother’s house, Michael engaged in a conversation with her about how they thought the order and visit had gone.

“I think it wasn’t too bad, honestly” Michael said, as he drove his mother home.

“I wonder what her game is” his mother replied. “What is she after here?”

“What makes you think she’s after something?”

“Come on, don’t play the fool. She gave Freddy a big donation and took a huge personal and professional hit for it. Now she’s essentially paying for you to spend time with her.”

“She placed a big order, mom. That was a lot of work. Catering for that many people is not cheap or easy.”

“Still, she paid you at least 5x the going rate for what that order would normally cost.”

“It’s hard enough as it is, mom. With salaries, maintenance, cost of living, taxes and other expenses, I’m barely making a profit. Let me take the windfall, without you having to be so down on it.”

“I’m just worried that she wants something for this and it may not be something you’d think she could buy with her billions.”

“What do you think she wants, exactly?”

“To be friends with you again.”

Diya had reached out in the hopes of becoming friends with Michael again, as Michael’s mother had correctly surmised. She had reached out once immediately followijg the election to congratulate Freddy on his victory and then another time just after the inauguration. She could tell that Michael was ignoring her, even if he said he was busy. She had her doubts after seeing the news report a few days earlier, thinking that he had been working on the coffee shop project the entire time. As such, she decided to try reaching out again, hoping the generous “compensation” for his work, and the publicity her visit would give his business, would help break the ice.

Diya tried again a few more times over the corresponding years to come. After a certain point, though, it became obvious to her how things really stood between them. Though she thought they could someday patch up their differences, the truth of the matter was…

“We’re never going to be friends again” Michael said to his mother in his car.

“I wish you wouldn’t lead her on so much” she replied. “You’re giving her false hope.”

“I needed the cash, mom. When she offered such a large amount of money like that, I really couldn’t afford to say no. We’re flying by the seat of our pants as it is.”

“If that’s really true, then why not just sell the business?”

“Because I love what I do mom.”

Michael had grown to love his job owning and managing the coffee shop in town. He loved interacting with the staff, who treated him with deference and respect. He loved introducing new recipes, which got rave reviews from the customers who came by in droves. He loved that it gave him a sense of purpose. For the first time in his life, he had a reason to live for himself, rather than for others. It filled him with great joy. He wouldn’t trade it for the world.

The best part, in his mind, was how he was still able to balance his responsibilities in the process. He wasn’t as involved with the cleaning at home as he used to be. He handled this issue by requiring Evan to start pulling in his own weight in terms of cleaning and laundry. For where he just didn’t have the time or Evan to do the household chores, he hired help to fill in the gaps. Things were as they should be in his life. He didn’t see a need to give that all up now.

“I get to spend more time with you, mom. I get to give Evan some space. I get to give Freddy the initiative to be a more active parent in his son’s life. The financial stuff can be tough to juggle, sure, but I’ve gotten real good at it. I’ll manage this.”

“Still, just be careful. Diya probably feels you ‘owe’ her in some way after this. She’s going to want payback for the money she’s given you and Freddy. If you rebuff her advances, she’s not going to be happy about it.”

“I’ll find some other way to repay her. I just can’t see myself ever being friends with her again. She’s just not the same person I knew all those years ago…and to be honest, neither am I.”

“You’ll always be my little angel.”

Michael’s mother kissed him on the cheek, as he approached her house. Around this time, Freddy, Evan and Chris finally got to the parking garage with Bowser on his leash.

“Finally!” Evan exclaimed, as he ran over to the car.

“Woah there buddy” Chris said with a laugh, as he unlocked the door.

Chris managed to get Bowser into the back seat, sitting right next to Evan. Evan pet the dog, while Chris and Freddy settled into their seats in the front. Chris pulled himself out of the garage and headed back to Freddy’s house. The car ride was relatively quiet, as Freddy and Evan were both glued to their communication devices. When they finally arrived at the house, they pulled in the driveway and settled themselves inside.

“I’m going to go up to my room for a bit” Evan said, as he ran upstairs and closed the door to his bedroom.

“What’s his hurry?” Freddy asked curiously.

“Heh, you don’t know?” Chris asked.

Freddy eyed Chris quizzically, before his bodyguard made a jerking motion in front of his pants.

“Already?”

“Dude, come on. He’s 13. You knew he’d be doing this stuff. Besides, you’ve already had the birds and the bees talk with him.”

“We did, but I didn’t think he was actually doing it yet.”

“Well, yeah, he is.”

“When did it start?”

“Probably earlier the year, though I don’t have an exact date.”

“I don’t want to broach the subject with him, to be honest.”

“Let him tell you when he’s ready. Now come on, sit in the kitchen while I prepare dinner. It’s going to be a feast.”

Freddy looked at Chris with a smile on his face, as the two of them made their way to the kitchen. At his mother’s house, Michael let her out of his car and helped her settle inside.

“Thank you, Michael” his mother said appreciatively, as he sat her down on the couch.

“No problem, mom” he replied. “Thank you for coming down today and staying late with me after normal business hours. Your moral support back there was greatly appreciated.”

As Michael settled his mother into her house, Conrad pulled up to the house in his mother’s car. When he parked in the driveway, he got out of the car.

“Hey man” Conrad called to Michael, as he walked inside of the house to where he stood by his mother. “Listen, I’m going to need help getting a ride back home. Mind taking me back?”

“Can’t you just get a cab?” Michael asked with an annoyed tone in his voice, as he kissed his mother on her cheek.

“At least help me arrange to get a cab and wait with me until it comes.”

“Can we do it at my place?”

“I’d rather not.”

Michael groaned, before he said goodbye to his mother and walked with Conrad outside.

“Nice to see you again, Mrs. Scavolini” Conrad said, as he walked with Michael out of his mother’s house.

When they got to the front of the driveway, Conrad ordered up a cab to pick him.

“It’ll be here in 15 minutes or so. That gives us enough time to talk.”

“What’s there to talk about, exactly?” Michael asked curiously.

“Look, I know that you still have a lot of salty feelings about the way things were in the past. I noticed your reaction when Diya confronted you about us. I was a jerk off back then and I did some things I regret. But if things are going to work out now, we have to find a way to move forward from all that.”

“It’s more than that, Conrad. It’s the fact that Freddy kind of ran on his whole ‘we don’t need cops’ campaign and then threw that right out the window by hiring you and the other two guys, plus the other officers.”

“I don’t think he ever said we don’t need any cops. I think his feeling was that they had too much power and needed to be reigned in, which we did. We’re not operating on the same level of freedom that other guys I know who work for other departments are. Freddy watches us like a hawk, Michael. We’re on our best behavior and, so far, we’ve gotten zero complaints.

“Would I like it if this town had zero cops? Sure, who wouldn’t? But we’re not at that point just yet. The fact that this town is still safe, with such a reduced headcount, is an incredible achievement. Freddy doesn’t get enough credit for that. All the guys I know hate his guts and trash him non stop.”

“Lenny and Harry?”

“No way. We love Fred. He’s our bro. Well, for a long time he wasn’t, because well…”

“Of me. Because of me.”

“Right. So, we are on our best behavior, and so are the other officers your husband hired, by the way. Freddy really listens to you and takes what you have to say seriously.”

“I don’t always feel that’s true.”

“Look, I don’t know what issues you guys might or might not have, but what I do know is that Freddy praises you to the heavens all the time. We know that if it’s between us and you, he’ll choose you every time, without question. We learned that lesson the hard way a long time ago. A lot of our ability to keep working for your husband comes down to knowing our place and where we stand.”

“So you still harbor ill feelings towards me?”

“I mean, not really, no. I’m not going to lie to you and say we’re going to be best friends now. However, after getting to know you better, I’ve found you ain’t such a bad guy.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“I’m just saying that you should trust that we respect you. As you’re our boss’ husband, we respect you. Freddy loves you and so we appreciate what you do for him. Tell you what? We were thinking, me, Harry, Lenny and Chris, of going on a guys weekend sometime after the holidays. Normally, it’s a no spouses affair, but since we’d like to break the ice a bit with you, since there’s still some distance between us, we wanted to know if you and Freddy wanted to tag along with us?”

Michael thought for a moment, before he gave Conrad an answer.

“I’ll get back to you on that one. I have to see.”

“Ok, dude. Just let Chris know when you’ve decided.”

“Ok.”

Conrad gave him a smile, before they looked out onto the street. They waited several minutes for the cab to arrive. When it finally came in front of the house, Conrad briefly looked to Michael.

“Later, Michael” Conrad said, before he got inside the cab.

As the cab drove off, Michael got back into his car and pulled out of his mother’s driveway. It was a short drive back to his own house, but he was relieved to finally be home after such a long day at work. Little did he know that he’d have a surprise waiting for him when he got inside. Feeling a little tired, having been up since 5 in the morning, Michael was surprised to see Chris was in the kitchen with Freddy.

“Chris?” Michael asked, as he closed the front door behind him. “I thought you’d have gone home already?”

“I have a surprise for you” Chris replied. “I’m making dinner tonight.”

“Chris, you don’t have to do that. I—“

“Uh uh” Freddy interrupted. “Nope. You’ve been working yourself to the bone all day today, getting that catering order ready for Diya. Go upstairs, shower off and come into the living room to sit with me, while Chris makes dinner.”

“I guess.”

Michael let out a weak smile, before he walked upstairs to take a long overdue shower.

“When should we tell him about the other surprise?” Chris asked.

“When she comes” Freddy replied. “It can wait.”

Just as Michael went into his room, Evan ran across the hallway into the guest bathroom. Chris continued to prepare the feast, as he chatted with Freddy about their upcoming plans. Around twenty minutes or so passed, before Evan came into the living room.

“Whatcha making?” Evan asked, as he plopped himself down on the couch.

“A delicious beef stew and some fresh, homemade rolls. Later, I’m going to grill up some steaks and veggies out back.”

“Awesome, Chris. That sounds like a delicious meal.”

“Thanks buddy.”

“He’s not the only one looking forward to it” Freddy said with a smile. “I am too.”

“I’m sure you are, boss.”

Freddy got up and sat down next to his son on the couch. They chatted for about ten minutes, before Michael came down in a more casual outfit.

“How come you’re still in your suit?” Michael asked.

“Didn’t feel like changing out of it” Freddy replied. “Here. Come sit with us.”

Michael sat down next to his husband and son. They enjoyed the family time together, chatting, sharing their feelings and bonding a personal level. They would have enjoyed this longer, but soon after, they heard a car pull up to the front of the house.

“Are you going home now, Chris?” Michael asked, as he looked out the window to see someone get out of the parked car.

“No” Chris replied as he cooked. “That’s the other surprise.”

Michael walked over to the front door to open it for their surprise guest. Walking across the lawn to the front door was Chris’ girlfriend, Helena.

“Helena” Michael said with a surprised tone in his voice. “I wasn’t expecting you to be coming inside this evening.”

“Oh, I guess they didn’t tell you yet” Helena replied, as she gave Michael a hug. “I’m staying for dinner tonight.”

“Oh.”

Michael gave Freddy a brief, disapproving glance, before he composed himself and continued speaking to Helena.

“Come in.”

“Thank you.”

“Hello Ms. Norberry.”

“Hello Evan. It’s great to see you again, dear. How is high school treating you these days?”

About a week after Freddy and Chris spent a weekend exploring each other sexually, Chris met his new girlfriend, Helena. On duty to pick Evan up from middle school, Chris noticed that his boss’s son wasn’t moving from the front steps of the building. Putting the flashers on, Chris got out of the car and made his way over to Evan. When he approached him, he noticed an older looking woman standing next to him.

“Oh Chris” Evan said at the time. “I thought you should meet someone. This is Ms. Norberry, one of my teachers at school.”

“Helena” she replied, as she shook Chris’ hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“Pleasure to meet you too” he replied. “I’m Chris. I work for Evan’s dad.”

“I’ve heard. Evan has had such wonderful things to say about you.”

“I appreciate that, Evan. Thank you.”

“So Ms. Norberry is single” Evan said.

“Oh?” Chris asked.

Helena blushed and chuckled, before she responded.

“Yes, it’s true” she admitted. “I haven’t gone on a date in ages.”

“To be honest with you, I haven't gone on a lot myself recently. Might I say, though, you look absolutely stunning.”

“Thank you.”

Helena didn’t know it at the time, but there was a considerable age difference between herself and Chris; a little less than twelve years. She pinned him for being in his late forties, early fifties, around her age of 51.

“I know this is kind of out of the blue, but if neither of us is seeing anyone at the moment, I was wondering if I could take you out on a date sometime?”

Evan nodded, as he looked up at his teacher with pleading eyes.

“Sure, why not.”

“Great!”

Chris smiled, as he and Helena exchanged numbers. Over the following six months since they first met, their relationship progressed rapidly. Their first date was a success and they went on a number of them in short succession afterwards. In just three months of dating, Chris and Helena were already living together. Things were moving fast between them, something that would come up in dinner conversation.

Helena was shocked to hear that Chris was only 38 at the time when he first told her his age. She pegged him for being much older than he was, which he confessed to her happened a lot. Despite this, Helena got over the hangup in the age difference relatively easily. To most casual observers, they didn’t suspect a thing. They looked right for each other. Her friends raved about him and his bros gave their approval. They had a feeling, based on their initial first impression of each other, that they were right for each other.

“School is alright” Evan replied back to Helena in the present time.

“You certainly started to turn your grades around” she replied with a smile.

“I know. Having Chris around helps. Same with you, Ms. Norberry.”

Helena insisted that Evan call her by a formal title. She was 51 and he was only 13. In her mind, she was his elder. In some cultures, she was practically old enough to be his grandmother. Even though he no longer attended her school or her classes, she insisted that the formality between them remain in place.

“I’m glad to help where I can” she replied.

“Do we have enough chairs at the table?” Michael asked.

“Yup” Chris replied, as he cooked. “I got an extra one.”

Helena sat with Freddy, Michael and Evan, as they chatted and spent time with each other. Bowser had been kept outside in the backyard, where Chris could keep a close eye on him. In case he tried to escape, he wanted easy access to get him back. After a time, Evan excused himself, as he got up from the couch and walked to the backyard.

“I’m going to go play with Bowser now” he said, as he walked out the back door.

“Be careful” Helena called out. “He’s a very feisty dog. The only person he behaves himself around is me.”

“That’s true” Chris replied with a chuckle. “However, I’m watching him from the window. Don’t worry about it, honey.”

Evan played with Bowser in the backyard, while Freddy and Michael chatted with Helena on the couch and Chris continued making dinner. Chris planned to serve the first course and then go and grill on the barbeque. When supper was ready, the five of them went to the kitchen table. Bowser was left outside by himself for the time being, until Chris was ready to grill. After Chris served the stew and rolls to each person at the table, he washed his hands and sat down to join them.

“This looks like a delicious stew” Freddy said.

“Thank you my dear” Helena said.

“Thanks Chris” Evan said.

Michael was quiet, before he let out an approving smile.

“Thanks for making dinner tonight” Michael said.

Michael had slowly, but surely, allowed Chris to take over more duties in the house. After long hours at work, he would sometimes feel he was unable to make dinner. Having Chris volunteer to pitch in every once in a while helped him out immensely. He was always grateful for whenever he’d get the assistance in the kitchen, even if he didn’t want to admit it openly.

“My pleasure everyone” Chris replied. “Let’s dig in, before I get the next course ready.”

Loud slurping sounds could be heard in the kitchen, as the five of them dug in to the stew. A minute passed them by, before Evan spoke up.

“So" he tried to say, before his voice began to crack.

Chris let out a light chuckle, as Evan held his throat in his hands. Evan was embarrassed by the noise he just made.

"It's ok, Evan" Helena said with an assurance in her voice. "That's perfectly natural for that to happen at your age."

"It happens to adults, too" Freddy added. "I've had it happen to me from time to time."

Evan slowly let go of his throat, before he continued speaking.

"Anyways, as I was trying to say, with thanksgiving coming up in a few weeks, and with us all gathered here tonight, I’d like us to go around the room and say who and what we’re thankful for this year.”

“Ok” Michael replied.

“That sounds like a wonderful idea” Helana said with enthusiasm.

“I’ll go first” Evan said. “I am thankful for my wonderful parents.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you Evan” Michael said.

“I appreciate that you guys have been there for me since the beginning. Though I learned this year about the fact that I was adopted, I feel that you two have been the best parents a boy could ever ask for. Dad.”

Evan looked into Michael’s eyes.

“You have always been there for me since the beginning. You have helped me grow as a person. You changed my diaper as a child. You cuddled me when I was sad. You’ve been to every school function. You've been to every soccer game I’ve ever played. You have never been too busy to lend me an ear when I needed it. You always give good advice. Your help with my homework over the years has been crucial, preventing me from failing my classes. I may not have gotten great grades early on, but I passed, all thanks to you.”

Michael smiled, before Evan looked to Freddy.

“Papa, I am grateful that you won the mayoral race last year. You have made more of a conscious effort this year to be involved in my life. You help me with my homework. You drop me off to school every day, so I don’t have to walk there all by myself. You’ve gone to more events this year. We have a great time playing soccer together on the weekends. You’re the best papa a boy could ask for.”

Freddy smiled, as he ruffled Evan’s hair.

“Thank you, Evan.”

“I am also thankful for my friends, my grandma, my other grandparents, my uncle Josh, who couldn’t stay in town this year, my good health, my happy home and my better grades in school.”

Freddy and Michael smiled, as Chris gave Evan a wary look.

“Oh, of course” Evan said, when he noticed Chris’ glance in his direction “I’m also thankful for you and Ms. Norberry, Chris. You two have been a tremendous influence in my life. In the short period of time you’ve been closer in it, it has been such a positive time in my life. I’ve known you for a couple of years now, Ms. Norberry, but I didn’t really get to know you that well, until you started dating my dad’s bodyguard. You have been a pleasure to talk to. Your tutoring has been an immense help to me in school.”

“That it has” Michael commented. “Thank you for that, Helena.”

“Don’t mention it” she replied with a smile.

“And Chris, you’ve been kind of like my third father in a way. You have the humor and charm of my papa, but the seriousness and discipline of my dad. I can always count on you to keep a secret and to lend an ear when I need someone to talk to. You’re a great friend and mentor to me. I appreciate you being around.”

“I’m happy to be here” Chris replied. “I hope to be around for many more years to come.”

“I hope so too” Freddy said.

“Alright” Evan said. “So who wants to go next?”

No one at the table spoke up at first. A moment of silence passed, before Helena decided to pipe up.

“I’ll go next” she volunteered. “Ahem. I am thankful for my wonderful extended family. My two sisters and brother. My many nieces and nephews. I am thankful for my job, where I get to teach so many young, bright students, like I used to teach you, Evan. I am grateful for your parents, Freddy and Michael, for opening their home to me this evening. I appreciate your hospitality.”

“Of course” Freddy replied with a smile.

“I am thankful to you, Evan. You are such a bright, inquisitive young man with a bright future ahead of you. I am positive that you will go on to do many great things. I am also thankful to you for helping me find love this year. For that, I am eternally grateful.”

Evan smiled, before Helena continued.

“Finally, I’d like to thank my beloved boyfriend, Chris. I hadn’t dated in many years before we laid eyes on each other. When you picked Evan up from school that day we met, I felt something was different about you. Evan had pestered me a bit about speaking to you, which was, admittedly, getting a little annoying.”

Evan lightly chuckled at this comment.

“However” she continued “I’m glad he did. Chris, when I first laid eyes on you, your handsome, bearded face, I felt something I hadn’t felt in a long time. I felt a pit in my stomach, a feeling of butterflies. It was like laying eyes on my high school crush. Your beautiful eyes immediately let my guard down and you were so friendly when we first met. I had no idea how young you were at the time. You looked so much older than your age.”

“I get that a lot” Chris replied with a chuckle.

“I knew you were right for me when we went on that first date together. I know you might think this is rushing things a bit, but I’m not getting any younger and neither are you. I hope, by this time next year, that I will be able to call myself Mrs. D’Salvo.”

“Oh wow” Evan said.

“Heh” Chris chuckled. “I think it’s a little fast to be talking about marriage.”

“Why, Chris? Ms. Norberry likes you. You like her. If you like each other, then why not pop the question?”

“Well, we’ve only been dating for six months now. That’s a little soon to be talking about a proposal, don’t you think?”

“I don’t” Helena replied.

“Well, I’ll tell you what. When we hit our one year anniversary, then you’ll know how serious this is. By then, well…if we’re still living together, I’ll make it official.”

“Wow Chris” Evan said. “That’s so exciting.”

“I’m excited too” Helena replied. “After I turned 35, I thought for sure that I’d never get married. The fact that it may finally happen now so is so exciting to me. It’s true what they say. You’re never too old to find love.”

“That is true” Chris said “which is a great transition to what I’m thankful for. I am thankful for my brothers, who I am very close with. I am thankful for my parents, who are both still alive. I am thankful to my cousins, my nieces and nephews who bring me such joy during the holidays. Helena, I hope you’ll enjoy seeing them this year. I’d like you to come with me to Christmas this year.”

“Of course” Helena replied excitedly. “I’ll be happy to. I’m looking forward to seeing my family for Thanksgiving this month. Knowing that, Chris, would you come with me to sister’s for Thanksgiving this year?”

“I’d be happy to be your date.”

Chris kissed Helena briefly, before he continued talking.

“I am thankful for my job and my boss, Freddy. You are such a great man. I can’t say it enough times.”

“It’s ok, Chris” Freddy replied with a chuckle. “I like hearing you say it.”

“I am grateful that you are such an amazing boss. You inspire me everyday I work for you. I am thankful for the help I do in helping you help so many people. It always brings a smile to my face hearing the residents of this town share their appreciation for what you do for them in office. My contributions to helping you make that possible bring me such pride. You are a great father, a great husband and the best boss I could ever have hoped for.”

Freddy let out a little tear, as they gave each other a quick hug.

“Isn’t that sweet” Helena said with a smile.

Michael shifted uncomfortably in his seat, which Chris noticed in that moment, as he let go of Freddy.

“I’m thankful for you, Michael” Chris continued. “I am thankful for how much of a generous host you were when I stayed over here during the campaign last year. I am grateful that you have given me the chance to prove to you that I am a changed man. I am grateful that you are such an amazing husband to my boss, Freddy, and an amazing father to your wonderful son, Evan. You are smart, kind, resilient, funny and caring. I am honored to serve your husband, but also to be of service to you. Thank you for allowing me to a presence in your life. Thank you for allowing me to work for your husband. Thank you for allowing me to be a presence in your son’s life.”

Michael smiled, as Chris patted him on the shoulder and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Freddy smiled, appreciative that his husband had let his guard down around a man he cared for so much.

“I am thankful for you, Evan. If Helena and I were to adopt a child someday, I could only hope they were as cool as you are. You helped me find love. You helped me nurture my paternal instincts. You are such a good soccer player. You have grown tremendously in the past year that I have gotten the privilege to know you. You are becoming a man right before our very eyes. I am so very proud of you and the man you are becoming this year.”

Chris ruffled Evan’s hair, before he turned to Helena.

“Finally, I am thankful for my lovely girlfriend, Helena. Helena, before I met you, I never thought I’d love again. I don’t like to dwell on the past too much, but I had one past serious relationship. After we broke up, I thought I’d be doomed to being a single man for the rest of my life. When I first laid eyes on you, thanks to Evan over here, I learned that I could learn to love again.”

Helena smiled, as Chris kissed her on the lips.

“Helena, you are a beautiful ray of sunshine in my life. You drive me to work and pick me up every day. The times we go to strolls together in the park are some of the happiest in my life. Every waking minute I am with you is a blessing from above. You are so kind, generous and caring. Your love of children inspires me to want to be a dad someday. I hope to be even a quarter as good of a dad as I know you will be as a mother. Helena, I love you with all my heart. I am thankful for your love in return.”

Helena and Chris kissed again, as Freddy let out an “aww” in response. Michael smiled, happy that Chris had finally found love. No longer did he worry about his husband’s ogling eye. He knew that Chris was a man who took his faithfulness to Helena seriously. The days of worries about infidelity were over. Chris was happy in love and so was he.

“Evan” Helena said “when we get married, we can’t wait to invite you to our ceremony.”

“But dad and papa say that only the adults get to go to weddings” Evan replied. “Unless it’s immediate family, then kids don’t usually go.”

“We’re making an exception here” Chris replied, as he rubbed Evan’s hair. “You’re the reason we’re even together as a couple. I’m looking forward to giving you a toast in your honor.”

“I’m sure you’ll also enjoy spending time with kids your own age” Helena added. “Chris and I have a lot of nieces and nephews in your age range. You’ll have a lot of people to talk to. You won’t be very bored.”

“You’ll like them, Evan. If you like me, then I know you’ll like my nieces and nephews.”

“I’m looking forward to it” Evan replied with a smile.

“Hopefully soon” Helena said to Chris, with a wink, nod and nudge.

After Chris and Helena giggled like school children, they looked to Freddy and Michael.

“Which one of you wants to go next?” she asked.

“I’ll do it” Freddy volunteered.

Michael looked at Freddy closely, wondering what he was going to say.

“Let me give the most important person in my life the first mention” he continued, as he stared into Michael’s eyes. “I know you like to be mentioned first and foremost, so I’ll say what I want to say about you first. Michael, I am thankful for your love and companionship. We have been together now for many years. We have been married now for fifteen years.”

“Congratulations” Helena said while clapping. “That is so wonderful.”

“Thank you Helena” Michael replied with a smile.

“We have been together as a couple for 24 years now” Freddy continued. “Almost a quarter century. In that time, we have been through so many highs, but also many lows. Life is not a stagnant ride, it is a bumpy journey. We’ve seen ups and downs. We’ve shared great occasions, but also much pain. We have been through this ride together. I am happy that you have been there with me throughout it all.

“Michael, you are the world’s best husband. You are smart. You are generous with your time. You care about family and would sacrifice anything for them. You have made me who I am today. You lifted me up from my darkest moments and put me on a path to success. You have given me encouragement, when I have felt down in the dumps. You have provided hope, when I felt hopeless. You have gone above and beyond to make my dreams come true. You are the best dad Evan could ask for. I know he’ll disagree, but secretly, I think you’re his favorite parent.”

“That’s not true” Evan said. “I don’t have a favorite parent.”

“You don’t have to lie to me, Evan. I can tell.”

“I don’t know” Michael replied reluctantly.

“Sure you are. You have always been there for him, when I have been, to my deepest regret, absent in his life. You have literally raised him from birth. Although he is his own person, much of you rubs off on him. I just hope that, before he becomes an adult, some of me will—”

“Ok that’s enough” Michael interrupted nervously, as Evan started to giggle.

Freddy gulped and then let out a chuckle.

“Allow me to rephrase that. Parts of you are—“

“Nope.”

“Ok. I hope that he’ll adapt some of my personality traits, just as he has adopted some of yours. Better?”

“Yup.”

“Good.”

Freddy kissed Michael, before Evan interrupted.

“I think I have adapted some of your traits, papa” he said. “I feel like we’re alike in some ways.”

“See?” Michael said. “There you go.”

Freddy smiled at Evan, before he continued speaking to Michael.

“You are the love of my life, Michael. I could never love anyone else, the way I love you. You are my heart, my soul, my reason for living. You complete me. I’d never be the same without you. I love you very much. I wouldn’t be here without you. Literally.”

Freddy kissed Michael again. Michael had appreciated all that Freddy had said just now. He looked forward to sharing what was on his mind afterwards.

“Shall I say more about Michael?”

“If you want” Helena replied.

“You can move on, Freddy” Michael said.

“You sure?” Freddy asked.

“I mean, unless you want to say more. I never turn down a compliment.”

Freddy kissed Michael yet again, this time with a longer smooch.

“I’m going to move on, if that’s ok with you.”

Michael nodded, before Freddy continued.

“I am thankful for my friends, some of whom have come back into my life again this year. I am thankful for my family, my parents, Evan’s grandparents. We don’t see them enough, but if we have a new years resolution for next year, that will be on top of the list. I am thankful for my brother Josh, who turned his life around this year.”

“Three cheers for Josh!” Chris exclaimed, as all of those assembled applauded in his honor.

Freddy smiled brightly, before he continued.

“I am thankful for my staff. I am thankful for the people I serve. I am thankful for every person who voted me into office. I am thankful for anyone who helped me get to where I am today. I am thankful to you, Chris. You are the best man I know, after my husband, of course.”

“What about me?” Evan asked with a frown.

“You will be” Freddy said, as he rubbed his son’s hair affectionately, before giving him a kiss on the cheek. “When you grow up and become an adult.”

Chris smiled, before Freddy continued addressing him.

“You are the best bodyguard a person could ask for. You are my best bro. You are always there to help me out when I need you. You never turn down a request I have. Out of everyone who works for me, you are the one who is always down to talk. I love spending poker nights with you and the other guys from high school. The camaraderie we share makes me feel like a normal person again.

“Chris, you have been a great influence on my son. You have worked like a dog to get Michael to open himself up to you. He has pushed you out before, but I thank you for trying and trying until he let you back into my life. He may not always want to admit it, but he appreciates you being here with us. It helps him out a lot, even if he won’t say it.

“I’d like to thank you, Helena. You have brought Chris so much joy in his life. Although we’ve only known each other for such a short period of time, we have already gotten close, as friends, I would say. I look forward to attending the wedding with Michel and Evan, whenever the date is set.

“Finally, Evan, I thank you for being such an amazing son. You are the best boy a father like me could ask for. It doesn’t matter that you aren’t my own flesh and blood. I have seen you since the time you came out of the womb. You are so precious and kind. You always want to spend time with me, even when I’ve pushed you away. I love the quality time we have spent together. I love being able to be more present in your life this year. I know as you grow up, that we won’t be able to spend much time together, but for the time I have left, I hope to make up for the time I’ve lost.”

Freddy kissed Evan on the top of his head and looked over at Michael.

“It’s your turn” he urged him on.

Michael felt nervous, as the four of them looked at him, eagerly awaiting his response.

“Want me to make the steaks first?” Chris suggested, seeing Michael begin to panic.

“That would be great” Michael responded, as he sighed with a sense of relief.

Chris got the empty bowls off the table and put them into the sink. He walked outside to start up the grill, as Freddy whispered into his ear.

“Something wrong?” he asked quietly.

“I’m just hungry” Michael replied. “I’m sure Evan is as well.”

Freddy kissed Michael on the forehead and rubbed his hair, before they all chatted about their day. As Chris began to get the steaks and veggies ready to grill, he noticed Bowser digging a hole under the fence.

“What are you doing, you bad boy?” he asked, as he dragged Bowser away from the fence and tied him to a post.

Bowser whined, as Chris spent the next several minutes cooking the meat and veggies on the open flame. Bowser got distracted by the smells of the steak cooking. He barked excitedly, as Chris continued to grill. Bowser tried to go over there, but found that his leash was tied too tightly. He whined loudly, unable to break free. When Chris was done grilling, he gathered the food on some plates and looked down at Bowser.

“Don’t try to leave again, you asshole” Chris scolded, before he walked inside with the plates of food. “If you want your treat later, then you better behave yourself.”

“You can’t stop me” Devin thought to himself, as Bowser laid on the grass in the backyard. “I will escape you eventually, asshole. Someday, I will break free.”

Evan excitedly clapped, as Chris set the grilled food on the table. Chris gathered up some plates from the cabinet and served a healthy portion to everyone at the table. When he was done, Chris washed up, before he sat down to join them. Looking over at Michael, he commented to him as they ate.

“You never got to say what you were thankful for.”

“Oh” Michael replied.

Although Evan was enjoying his steak and grilled veggies, he put his fork and knife down to look at his dad. Michael got nervous, as everyone gathered the table watched him closely. Clearing his throat, he began to name his list of people that he was thankful for that year.

“I am thankful for my mother” he began “first and foremost.”

“What about me?” Freddy asked, with puppy dog eyes.

Michael rolled his eyes, while Freddy and Chris giggled.

“Stop it, papa” Evan said. “Be nice.”

“Ah, I’m just kidding, Evan.”

Freddy rubbed Evan’s hair, which caused Michael to let out a chuckle.

“See?”

“Dad?” Evan asked. “Are you mad at papa?”

“Nah” Michael replied. “He was just being silly. Anyways, as I was saying, I am thankful to my mother. Without her, I would not be here right now. She gave birth to me, even though she hadn’t wanted to at first. She has been the most consistent presence in my life. There was a time, between going to college and moving back to this town ten years ago, that we didn’t really see each other much at all. However, I am happy that she is so close to me now, as I see her nearly every day at the coffee shop. We are very close and will continue to remain so for as long as we live here.

“I am thankful to her for being a great mother in law to my husband and an amazing grandmother to my wonderful son, Evan. She dotes on him like he’s me. They value the time they have shared together and I’m thankful she has babysat him so many times when we’ve needed a break.”

“More time for you and I” Freddy replied.

Michael nodded, before he continued.

“Next, I am thankful to my in laws. I don’t see them much these days, but they have been a support system for us. From the time we first started dating, they have been the most encouraging voices. I am thankful that Josh has stayed sober and clean. I am thankful that he has turned his life around. I am thankful to Tom, for helping Josh become a success. I am thankful to my friends, past and present, who have been a shoulder for me to lean in when I needed them.

“I am thankful to Diya. Yes, that may be surprising to hear me say. However, I thank her for the help she gave me in the past, including being a key reason for why we can even call my husband Mr. Mayor. I am thankful for her helping to bring attention to the coffee shop I work at this afternoon. I am thankful for all the employees who work there. I am thankful for all of our customers. I am thankful for Mr. Miller, who sold me the coffee shop, to allow me to remake as my own.

“I am thankful for Conrad, Harry and Lenny for showing me that bullies can change. I hope that serves a lesson that will hopefully apply to you someday, Evan. I am thankful that another childhood bully turned into such an amazing person. Chris, you have been such a positive influence on my son’s life. The turnaround between his slump and his upward trajectory now came because of you. You are like a big brother or uncle to him. You have shown him the way to a better future. You have helped him out so much. I know he appreciates it as well.

“I thank you for protecting my husband from all the threats he has faced. You have saved his life on more than one occasion. Yes, you’ll say you haven’t done a great job, but you have. You have been the best bodyguard he could ask for. You have gone above and beyond for him. You have gone above and beyond for me too.

“Helena, thank you for being such a great companion to Chris. I also thank you for being an amazing mentor to my son. Your help with his schoolwork has been a godsend. I can’t praise you enough for your efforts.”

Michael paused, before he turned to look at Freddy.

“Finally, I am thankful to you, my love. You have been the best husband I could ever ask for. You are supportive. You are encouraging. You always know how to cheer me up. You always know how to make me happy. You always say the right thing and know when not to say the wrong thing. Thank you for being more present in Evan’s life this year. Thank you for encouraging me to fulfill my dreams. Thank you for being my partner. I wish I could say more right now, but I’m kind of tired and, well, I love you Freddy. That’s all I can think of now.”

“It’s ok, Michael” Freddy replied, as he hugged his husband tightly. “I totally understand. You’ve had a long day.”

Freddy gave Michael a kiss on the cheek and whispered in his ear.

“I love you too.”

“That was great!” Evan exclaimed. “Now let’s talk about those we miss.”

“Uh” Michael said, as he cotninued to eat his steak. “I’d rather not.”

“I’ll go first. I miss my uncle Josh. I miss my grandparents. I wish I had gotten to know my dad’s father, my other grandfather. And I miss some of my friends who moved away this year. Ok, your turn, Ms. Norberry.”

“Oh my” she replied. “Well, I miss my parents and grandparents. I miss my great grandmother Nitty. I miss some of my aunts and uncles. I also miss all the students who have grown up and graduated from middle school. That’s it.”

“Great. Your turn now, Chris.”

Chris paused for a minute. He didn’t want to say who he really missed most at this time. Sofya. Even though he had fallen in love with Helena, he still missed Sofya immensely. He didn’t love her, the way he loved Helena, but she was carrying his child, at least he thought she was. He missed her as the potential mother of a beautiful son or daughter made from his own seed. If Sofya had survived the blast, he’d perhaps be raising an infant of his own right now. He missed her so much, but wouldn’t say so in that moment. Instead, he said the following…

“I miss my grandparents and some of my friends from school, college, the military and the police force. That’s it.”

“That’s it?” Evan asked.

“That’s a lot of people, Evan. Especially over all those years.”

“Ok, then. Papa?”

“Hmm. Well, I miss my grandparents and I miss Michael’s father in law. I wish you would have had the chance to meet him, Evan. I’m sure you would have loved him very much, just as I know that he would have loved you in return. I miss my best friend Duane, who was tragically murdered by the police. I probably should have mentioned him in my victory speech, but I'll remember to bring him up another time. It's a shame that I didn't immediately run for public office years ago, after the outrageous murder of my best friend. I didn't think I could do anything about it at the time. I'm glad that attitude has since changed, but I deeply regret not being more active on this issue sooner. I miss him so much. I miss him everyday. I hope he's proud of what I've done in his memory. That’s about it for me.”

“Ok. Dad?”

Michael started to sob, which Freddy and Chris immediately noticed. Freddy stood up and pulled Michael up from his seat. Evan stared up at them while he ate, concerned as his papa embraced his dad tightly.

“Dad, it’s ok” Evan said quietly, after he swallowed some food. “You don’t have to say anything.”

“It’s fine” Michael replied, as he wiped away a tear. “Let me sit back down, Freddy.”

Freddy reluctantly let go of Michael, before they returned to their seats. After Michael composed himself, he rattled off his list.

“Well, I miss my friends from high school and Harvard. I miss spending time with the other PTA mothers. I…”

Michael paused, before he continued.

“I miss the woman Diya used to be. We were such good friends for quite a few years. She was, in fact, my best friend. I don’t have a best friend any longer, after we fell out of touch. Fame and fortune have changed her into a person I don’t recognize. I miss the girl she was. I miss the girl I once knew. I mourn who she has become.

“Finally, I miss my dad so, so much. Every single day, I think about him. Every single damn day he’s on my mind. I wish I could call him up and chat. I wish I could talk to him about the things I’ve dealt with throughout the years he hasn’t been with us. I wish he could see how happy of a couple we are, Freddy. I wish he could have met you, Evan. Every single day I miss him so, so much. Time has helped to make the pain less agonizing, but it hasn’t taken away the pain all together. I’ll never move on. All I can do is live life one day at a time.

“The only thing that gives me comfort is that I don’t think he’s totally gone. I believe, in my heart of hearts, that’s he’s been watching over us this entire time. I believe that he’s helped us through our tough periods. I just feel, in the back of my mind, that’s he’s been our guardian angel, when we needed him most. I just wish sometimes he’d give me a sign, to let us know he’s here looking after us.”

In that moment, Michael felt a breeze rush past his hair. He was startled, as he turned to look at the others seated at the table. They looked at him with concern in their eyes.

“You ok, dad?” Evan asked with a worried tone in his voice.

“Did you feel that?” Michael asked nervously. “It got a bit chilly in here all of a sudden.”

“No dear” Helena replied. “It’s just your imagination.”

Michael sat silently, as the rest of them finished their food, before got up and took their dishes to the sink. While they cleaned up from the meal, Michael was lost in his head.

“I was not imagining that just now” he thought to himself. “I totally felt that. It felt like someone touched me. I wonder if it was my dad letting me know he’s here. I wish he’d make his presence known in a more obvious way than that. I don’t want everyone to think I’m crazy for believing this.”

Once the rest of them were done cleaning up the dishes, Chris took Michel’s plate and silverware and washed it for him in the sink. When they were done, Chris went out to the backyard to bring Bowser back inside. To his horror, Bowser had managed to escape the tie he made. The dog had managed to dig up a bigger hole in the fence by the spot where he was digging earlier. Bowser could not get it deep enough to crawl under, before Chris dragged him back into the house.

“Bad dog!” Chris scolded. “You’re definitely not getting your treat now!”

Bowser growled, as he tried, but failed to escape.

“I’ll have this collar off of me someday” Devin thought to himself, as Bowser was brought back into the house. “Just you wait and see. I will have my revenge.”

When Chris got back inside with Bowser, he addressed Michael, with Helena by his side.

“So” he said. “We have one more surprise for you this evening.”

“Oh?” Michael asked. “What’s that?”

“Well” Helena replied. “We know you don’t get enough alone time with your husband these days. So, Chris and I were talking it over the other day and we wanted to take Evan off of your hands for the night.”

“Oh boy!” Evan exclaimed excitedly.

“You two deserve some quality time together” Chris added. “Plus, I’m sure Evan will want to hang out with us at our place for a change.”

“That I do!”

Michael looked up at Chris and Helena from his chair and smiled in their direction.

“I’d really like that” he admitted honestly “that is, if it’s not too much trouble for you.”

“Not at all” Helena replied. “We offered, remember? It’s our pleasure to take him off your hands for a bit. Now come on, Evan. Pack an overnight bag and let’s get ready to go.”

“Ok, Ms. Norberry” Evan replied, as he ran upstairs to his room and got ready to leave.

Michael stood up and faced Chris and Helena with a nervous expression on his face.

“You don’t have to do this” he said.

“We want to” Chris replied.

“We insist” Helena stressed.

“You sure this isn’t any trouble?” Michael asked.

“No trouble at all” Chris replied.

“Our pleasure, in fact” Helena corrected.

“Of course. It is our pleasure.”

In an instant, Evan came back into the kitchen. He had his overnight bag packed and was ready to go.

“Bye papa!” Evan exclaimed, as he gave Freddy a hug.

“See you tomorrow, Evan” Freddy replied, before he gave his son a kiss on the forehead.

“Dad?”

Evan walked over to Michael and gave him a big hug.

“I’m going to miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too” Michael replied, as he gave him a hug and a kiss on the forehead. “But you’ll be back tomorrow, so I’ll see you then.”

“See you tomorrow, dad.”

“Ready buddy?” Chris asked.

“Yup” Evan replied.

Chris gave Michael a soft tender hug, while giving Freddy more of a bro hug. Helena gave Freddy and Michael warm hugs goodbye. Michael shed a tear in his eye, as Chris and Helena walked Bowser and Evan to their car.

“What time should we drop him off tomorrow?” Helena asked before she left.

“Not too late, please” Michael replied.

Helena nodded, before she closed the front door behind her. Michael stood with Freddy by the window in the living room, as they watched Evan get into Chris’ car, with Bowser being fussy as usual. After they all settled into the car, Helena drive off into the night. When they were out of sight, Freddy and Michael turned to face each other.

“We’re alone” Freddy said with a grin.

“That we are” Michael replied with a weaker smile.

“You know what that means?”

“Sleep?”

“No silly. Fun time.”

Freddy spanked Michael’s butt, who let out a little giggle in response. Freddy asked Michael to jump into his arms. When he did, Freddy carried him up the stairs to their bedroom. Freddy kissed Michael tenderly, as he made his way up to the bed they shared. When they got into the bedroom, Freddy kicked the door behind him closed and laid Michael on the bed. They eagerly stripped off their clothes and began to make out with each other in a passionate display of lust.

Freddy caressed Michael in his arms and kissed him all over his cheeks. He nibbled playfully on his neck, causing his boyfriend to shake and giggle in response. He kissed his sensitive nipples and down on his chest. He made his way down to his husband’s dick and gave it a few gentle licks. When he was done, he crawled back up to Michael’s mouth and pointed his rock hard dick in his face.

“Open wide” Freddy said playfully.

Michael opened his mouth and allowed Freddy to insert his dick inside. Freddy rapidly pumped himself in and out of his husband’s mouth, causing Michael to gag and drool in response.

“I’m going to cum quick” Freddy hissed sharply, trying to pull out.

Michael wouldn’t let him, as he kept sucking tightly, before Freddy let out a moan and shot his load right down his husband’s throat. He shot two shots, before he felt a heat splash onto his back. Michael had been jerking his dick off while Freddy had his own dick in his husbamd's mouth. Very quickly, Michael shot his load all over Freddy’s back and onto his own pubic hair below.

“That was hot” Freddy said playfully. “In more ways than one.”

Freddy pulled his dick out of Michael’s mouth, before he scooped up some of his husband’s cum off his back.

“Eat this” Freddy said, as he stuck his fingers into Michael’s mouth.

Michael seductively swirled his tongue on Freddy’s fingers, tasting his own cum in the process. When he swallowed, he smiled at the thought of his sperm joining Freddy’s down in his stomach. After Freddy fed Michael his entire load from his back and Michael’s crotch, he laid down on the bed and sought to catch his breath.

“Man I came quick” Freddy said as he panted. “I was expecting to last a little longer than that.”

“It’s ok” Michael replied tenderly. “We have all night, remember? We’re not in any rush.”

Michael rolled over and played with Freddy’s hair with his fingers. Freddy turned over and planted gentle kisses on Michael’s lips. They stared into each other’s eyes, filled with an intense love for each other.

“Won’t it be great someday?” Freddy asked, as he gently stroked Michael’s cheeks. “When it’s like this every night? Just you and me. Alone. With no one else in the house.”

“It might be sooner than you think” Michael replied with a smile. “Evan’s getting older now. Before you know it, he’s going to become an adult.”

“That doesn’t mean we’ll have the place to ourselves.”

“Sure it will. He’ll graduate from school, go to college and then get a job. He won’t be living under our roof for that much longer.”

“But that’s the thing, though. He might be here longer than you think he will.”

“I don’t think so. Look at us. When we turned 18, we got the fuck out of our parents houses and never moved back in with them. We were anxious to get out, seeing as they suffocated our ability to make love to each other. I’m sure Evan will eventually feel the same way.”

“But a lot of other people our age didn’t move out right away and even less kids do today. All I’m saying is that Evan may not be out of our hair for a while. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up staying with us until he’s 30.”

“Pssh. Yeah right. If he isn’t out of here by then, then I’m tossing him out.”

“How could you say that about your son?”

“If I can’t get Evan to support himself by then, then I will have been a failure as a father.”

“Maybe the economy will be tough? Maybe he won’t have a social support system to help him out? It’s not uncommon for that to happen. Circumstances change. You should be flexible.”

“He’s not going to overstay his welcome.”

“Still, I think you need to prepare yourself for the possibility of him being here longer than you’d like him to.”

“We’ll see.”

Freddy kissed Michael again, as he stroked his hair.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”

“Sure. What’s up?”

Freddy got up from the bed and bent down underneath. When he sat back next to Michael, he had a shoe box in his hands.

“I saw these under the bed when I was cleaning the house the other day.”

“You were cleaning?”

“Sure.”

“You never clean.”

“I rarely clean, but I did clean the house. Didn’t you notice the pleasant smell the other day?”

“I figured you just sprayed some fragrant air freshener.”

“Nope. I did a full on cleaning spree when I took a personal day off from work last week. I cleaned all the bathrooms, the bedrooms, the kitchen and the living room. During my vacuuming spree, I found this under our bed. When I looked inside, I found out that it was the old photo box that was in your parents closet in their bedroom. I didn’t realize your mother gave it to you.”

“She didn’t. I took it from her last year when I dropped Evan off to stay with her during your campaign. I figured that somebody ought to carry it on to the next generation and that person would have to be me. I’ve been so busy these days, that I haven’t had the time to digitally upload them yet. I was going to ask Evan to do that, but he should focus on his school work. Maybe one of your staffers wouldn’t mind doing it for some extra cash on the side.”

Michael opened the box and showed Freddy the photos of his family in their younger days.

“The photos were kept in surprisingly good condition. That old photo material was known to wear out quick. I guess the fact that my parents kept them in a dark closet for close to forty years helped preserve their quality. They’ve barely aged at all. Still, I’d like to save these before they fade any further.”

“Didn’t you take some photos from the box years ago?”

“I did”

Michael got up and went into one of the drawers on his dresser. He pulled out some photos to show Freddy.

“These were the photos I took when we were looking at the box all those years ago. It’s so strange, when you think about it.”

“How so?”

“Well, late at night, when I have trouble sleeping, I often think about my life. Where I’ve been, where I am now and where I might go from here. I like to trace out my journey, like constellations in the night sky. This old photo box is so interesting. I wouldn’t consider it to be a metaphor, per se. I would consider it to be almost like a plot device in our life story. It’s like an inciting force in our journey together. Like it’s interesting how all of the events in the last twenty one years of our lives can be traced back to us looking in this photo box in my parents bedroom closet.”

“How do you figure that?”

“Well, it’s kind of like that old William Carols Williams poem. The Red Wheelbarrow:

so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens”

“That was such a stupid poem. I can’t believe they made us read it in high school.”

“It’s not stupid, Freddy. It’s an example of an Imagist poem.”

“It’s not much of a poem at all.”

“Sure it is. It’s basically saying that a lot of things depend on that red wheel barrow to work. Without it, farmers can’t send the hay and oats to feed the animals, who can’t be slaughtered, who can’t be shipped to the grocery store, which can’t be sold, which can’t be eaten, which causes someone to starve. A lot of jobs and lives depend on that wheelbarrow. It may seem small, but without it, a lot of things would suffer.

“The same theory applies to this photo box. If we hadn’t gone into my parents bedroom to look at the photos in the box that day, my father would never have grown out his beard, which you wouldn’t have ogled at, which wouldn’t have prompted him to invite us in to jack off with him, which meant you wouldn’t have had the opportunity to feel him up, which wouldn’t have caused him to freak out, which wouldn’t have caused him to pressure me harder to go to Harvard, hoping to split us up as a couple. Then, I wouldn’t have helped Diya fix iThink, which would have gone nowhere without my tweaks. I wouldn’t have had much direction after college and who knows what would have happened to us after that.

“If you hadn’t triggered my father that day, he may have taken his demons with him to the grave. If he hadn’t spoken out about the abuse he faced, other men may have stayed silent too. Man Luv would still be a world renown artist today and that would have been a tragedy, considering what he did to all those men. If my father hadn’t been on his death bed, I likely would have stayed at iThink and maybe we would have been torn apart by that. If Diya hadn’t bought me out of the company, then I never would have been home as much as I had been. You never would have been allowed to be a public defender and I never would have adopted our son.

“From there, we wouldn’t have raised our beautiful family together. We never would have moved back to this town. You never would have been inspired to run for public office. The ring may never have returned to town. We may never have figured out that you hadn’t broken the curse, until it was transferred to someone else. We never would have met Chris, who has brought such joy to our lives. You never would have been mayor and you may never have had the chance to bond with Evan as you do now. You never would have been able to help the people you’ve helped in your time in office so far. All of this happened because we looked at this photo box on that fateful day all those years ago.”

Freddy paused for a minute to take all of this in.

“You know” he finally replied “you kind of have a point. This photo box here really dig trigger all of the events that led us to this point.”

Freddy made a silly face after this.

“That poem is still stupid, but you still made a smart point.”

“It’s not a stupid poem.”

“Shh.”

Freddy kissed Michael on the lips and then got out of bed.

“I just mentioned it because I wanted to show you something.”

Michael looked at Freddy carefully, as he pulled something out from his side of the dresser. When Freddy turned around, Michael saw that he was holding a photo in his hand.

“Where did you get that?” Michael asked curiously.

“That time we pulled the photo box from your parents closet” Freddy replied, as he sat back on the bed with Michael “I took this with me.”

“How come you never told me about this?”

Freddy blushed, before he gave his answer.

“Part of it is because I used to jack off to it from time to time.”

“Blech! Oh my god, Freddy! Gross!”

“But, as time when on, I kept it to remember your dad by. My other dad. This is kind of how he wanted to be remembered. It’s the only photo of him bearded, or rather, one of the only ones with him sprouting his beard. He said to me that he wanted to be a bearded man all his life, but you and your mother wouldn’t let him. This is how he always wanted to look, so it’s how I choose to remember him.”

“Wow Freddy, that’s really thoughtful.”

“It’s also a reminder of what could have been. Had he survived. Had he gotten the kidney donor before it was too late. Had he lived to see us grow as people. Had he seen us grow as a couple. Had he lived to see Evan. Had we grown closer, as father and son. We have a lot of those in life. A lot what could have beens.”

“I wouldn’t say we have a lot of those.”

“Oh no?”

Freddy scooted closer to Michael and looked him in the eyes.

“What about if you had been able to stay at iThink? Or if you hadn’t enrolled at Harvard? Or if you hadn’t adopted your son? Or if you had told me no the times you gave me a yes? Or vice versa? Don’t you think about what could have been, from time to time?”

“Not really, to be honest with you. My philosophy in life is to live in the moment and look forward, not backwards. I’m not someone who likes to think of and dwell on the past too much. It’s too painful for me. Today is good. Tomorrow may even be better.”

“Well, what about your dad?”

“Besides that, no. That’s the only thing that I dwell on, but you know, as I said at dinner tonight, I somehow feel he’s been helping us along the way. He did promise us that he’d be watching over us from the after life.”

“He was probably just high on morphine or whatever. He didn’t know what he was talking about.”

“I would think so too, but we’ve had too many close calls to just dismiss the possibility out of hand. Plus, with all of encounters with magic rings, wizards, witches and the battle of good and evil, more than enough for one lifetime, by the way, I never dismiss the seemingly absurd anymore. If I hadn’t seen you turn into a dog all those times, I never would have believed it was possible. We didn’t hallucinate it and we weren’t high on drugs either. You were a dog.”

“True.”

“So maybe someday, if the magic ever comes around these parts again, that’s what I’d want a wizard or witch to help me do. Contact my dad and see if my theory is true.”

“We don’t know any more wizards or witches, though. The ones we knew of are all dead now.”

“The only one we know for sure is dead is Sofya, but you know how these magical beings are. Just when you think they’re gone for good, they have a weird way of showing up again when you least expect them.”

“Don’t jinx it, please.”

“Why? You were the one almost two years ago saying you liked being a dog.”

Freddy chuckled nervously, before he responded.

“Yeah, after this last adventure we had, my fondness for that has completely dissipated.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, this last time wasn’t so fun.”

“But you got to do the commercial with your son.”

“That’s the only thing I enjoyed and only for a little while. I almost got caught naked in public. The rest of the day after that was a complete disaster.”

“Still, it helped your brother out and gave Evan fifteen seconds of fame. Literally.”

“That is all true, but no, I’m done with wanting to be a dog. I’m not interested in changing back anymore. The mayor can take the doggy duties from here on out.”

“I’m so glad we got him neutered when we did. Who knows what would have happened if he had figured out that you could change yourself back by pleasuring yourself to orgasm?”

“Or by fucking another dog. He almost banged Lady in our house. We had to fight with all our strength to separate them. That was tough, considering how tired we were.”

“Tell me about it.”

“No more dog adventures for me. No more talk of a dog for Evan. I’m done with all of that. Evan can play with the mayor…I mean ‘Bowser,’ if he wants to. That should be good enough for him.”

“Agreed. It’s nice to have you come around to my way of thinking.”

Freddy and Michael kissed, before Michael got nervous. Freddy noticed this and spoke up.

“Something wrong?”

Michael sighed, before he answered.

“Maybe this isn’t the right time to talk about this, but, I wanted to try something with you.”

“Ok….”

“Well, you know how you’re always the one who tops me in bed?”

“Yup. That’s how it’s always been, ever since we’ve been together.”

“Well, I’d like to top you tonight for a change.”

“Uh….”

Freddy sat up and looked at Michael with a nervous expression on his face.

“I don’t know if I’m so comfortable with that.”

“Why? Have you ever done it before?”

“No.”

Freddy lied. He hadn’t mentioned it to Michael yet, but during his sleepover with Chris, he was topped for the first time, twice. As much as he didn’t want to admit it to himself, Freddy enjoyed taking it in the ass. He just wasn’t sure if he would enjoy Michael doing it to him as well.

“It’d be good for us to mix things up in the bedroom. Do something different for a change.”

“I don’t know if I’m so comfortable with that idea.”

“Why not?”

“Because it hurts and I’m not sure I’ll enjoy it.”

“It’s not like we’re going to do it this way from now on. I just want to give it a try, that’s all. Freddy…”

Michael paused, before he continued.

“I wanted to finish what I was trying to say during dinner earlier, when Evan asked us to say what we were grateful for this year.”

“You don’t have to do that, Michael. You said more than enough.”

“But maybe if you know how much you mean to me, then you’ll find it within you to let me top you for a change.”

Freddy looked at Michael, as his husband composed himself. After a moment passed, Michael spoke up.

“You are the greatest thing to ever happen to me. You bring me so much joy in life. You prod me to do the right thing, when it’s difficult or when I really don’t want to do it. There have been so many times when I’ve resisted your pressure, but I’m glad I gave in those times. It’s made a big difference to helping me grow as a person. It has made me more patient, more tolerant, more willing to try new things and more willing to get out of my comfort zone. You have given me the motivation to be a better person and give people a chance to prove themselves.

"I also couldn't imagine living without you. When you were all but certain to be dead, twice, I might add, I really didn't think I'd ever be able to live without you. I was ready to die along with you. I was ready to leave this Earth if you had left for good. I'm so grateful that you survived those near death experiences. It's what has allowed me to feel I need to give people I have reservations about a chance to prove themselves.

"I let Chris, your brother Josh, your old high school buddies and all those workers at my coffee shop into our lives. Even though I really didn't want to, I gave them a chance. I didn't want to do it, but I was willing to do it in order to please you, as I love you very much. Knowing you could die in an instant, I'm more willing to let you have your way on these sorts of things. I just hope that, in that spirit, knowing how much you mean to me and what I've done for you, you’ll consider giving this a try. Please let me do it, Freddy? Please do it for me?”

Freddy thought for a minute, as Michael gave him a hug. After a minute passed, Freddy nodded his head.

“Fine” he agreed. “I’ll try it, but don’t be too rough on me, please.”

Michael clapped, before he gave Freddy a big, tight hug.

“Thank you, Freddy. Also…”

Michael got up from the bed and pulled out something from the dresser. Freddy gulped when he saw what Michael was holding in his hand when he turned around to face him.

“You saved that?” Freddy asked nervously.

“I did” Michael replied, holding Buddy’s collar in his hands. “Remember after you transformed into Fido all those years ago and I said it would be fun for you to fuck me while wearing it?”

“I vaguely recall saying this.”

“Well, we never did get to do that. I was kind of hoping to do it doggy style with you, where you’d wear this on your neck and I’d fuck you from behind.”

“Uh.”

Michael got up close to Freddy and tried to put the collar on him. Freddy pushed him back, which caused Michael to frown.

“I don’t know, Michael. I’m not so comfortable with the idea. It’s a lot for me to let you fuck me in the ass to begin with. This may be a little too much for me right now.”

“Don’t you love me, Freddy?”

“Of course I do. I love you very much.”

“Then please do this for me. It’d make me feel better and I know how much you like to make me feel better.”

Freddy thought for a minute, as Michael anxiously stared at him, eagerly waiting for a response. Sighing, Freddy motioned Michael over to him.

“Fine. Let me put on the collar and I’ll adjust it to what I’m comfortable with.”

Michael clapped happily, as Freddy took the collar and slowly put it over his neck. He put the notch through the first hole, making it as loosely fitting as possible. It was still tight, but it didn’t choke him the way it had before.

“Also” Freddy said, as he got up onto all fours “no tugging on the leash. That shit hurts like a mother fucker when Tom would do it.”

“Gotcha” Michael replied, getting himself ready to fuck.

Already, Michael's dick had gotten rock hard, just talking about the experience he was about to partake in. He knew he wouldn’t last long, so he quickly grabbed a bottle of lube and rubbed it on his throbbing erection.

“Loosen me up back there first” Freddy called out from behind. “Don’t just stick it in there.”

“Ok” Michael replied “but I don’t know how much longer I can hold out.”

Michael lubed up a finger and gently stuck it in Freddy’s asshole. Freddy let a quiet moan, embarrassed by how much he was enjoying this anal stimulation.

“Sounds like you’re enjoying yourself” Michael said with a smile. “You might enjoy this more.”

Michael found Freddy’s prostate and began to gently flick it with his finger. Freddy moaned loudly, as he writhed on the bed in pleasure. His hard dick began to leak precum onto the bed sheets below him. Michael played with Freddy's prostate for a minute, before he stuck his finger out and put two of them inside his husband's hole. He worked up to three fingers in, before he got his dick lined up at the entrance of his lover's hole. He was about ready to explode, before he pushed his dick in and sunk all the way inside of his husband's asshole.

“Argh!” Freddy screamed out in pain. “Son of a bitch, Michael! Slow the fuck down! Literally!”

“Sorry” Michael moaned in pleasure, as he held onto Freddy’s waist with his hands. “I’ve just never experienced this before. It feels soooo good. Your ass is so tight around my dick. It’s ready to explode”

“Give me a minute to adjust, god damn it! Hold on a second. Don’t move yet.”

Michael fought to keep himself from cumming, while Freddy adjusted to his husband’s dick in his hole for the first time. The dick attacked his anal walls, causing Freddy to whimper in pain. After a minute of strained breathing and panting, he nodded his head, to urge Michael to begin fucking him.

“Go slow” Freddy insisted.

Michael slowly pulled his dick out and sunk it back in with a moan. Freddy hissed in pain, while Michael moaned out quietly in pleasure. It only took a minute, but Freddy began to adjust to Michael slowly moving in and out of his asshole.

“You can go faster now” Freddy said. “I think I’ve adjusted.”

Michael took this as a green light to start slamming into his husband from behind. Freddy moaned in pleasure, as Michael’s dick hit his prostate with powerful jabs. Freddy continued to leak onto the bed sheets, as Michael’s pounding got faster and harder.

“Who’s a good boy?” Michael asked seductively.

“I’m a good boy” Freddy replied in a high pitched moan.

“Who’s the best husband in the world?”

“Meeee.”

“Who was the best doggy?”

“I was the best doogy.”

“Say woof.”

“Woof.”

“Say woof woof.”

“Woof woof.”

“Good boy.”

Michael rubbed Freddy’s hair and gently held onto the leash, while he fucked his husband doggy style. He continued to thrust into his lover with power in his pelvis.

“Think you can turn your head around, boy?”

Freddy strained his head back to see Michael smiling at him. In lust, Michael thrust into Freddy rapidly, moaning loudly as he did so. He could see his husband’s ass cheeks jiggle underneath him, as Michael slammed into his hole aggressively.

“Can you stick your tongue out and pant like a dog?” Michael asked.

Freddy nodded, as he began to pant, like the dog he had been for a time. This immediately set Michael off, as he cried out in lust while approaching his orgasm. He shot what felt like a gallon of cum inside of Freddy’s asshole. The contractions from the ejaculation caused Freddy to moan in pleasure, as he turned his head back around and began to shoot his load onto the bed sheets below him without touching himself. The covers were drenched in his seed, which was soon joined by Michael’s, when it leaked out from his asshole. When Michael was done cleaning up the mess, he laid on the bed and panted in exhaustion.

“Not so fast, big boy” Freddy said, as he lifted Michael’s legs up in the air. “It’s my turn now.”

“Oh come on.”

Freddy growled, which caused Michael to chuckle.

“What’s so funny?” Freddy asked.

“You growling while wearing a dog collar” Michael replied with a smile.

Freddy noticed that he still had Buddy’s collar on his neck. He went to take it off, but Michael held out his hand to stop him.

“Don’t” Michael insisted. “Not until you’ve had your way with me first, you big dog.”

“Ok.”

Freddy pulled Michael down on the bed, to get better access to his hole. Freddy was still hard as a rock, as he quickly lubed up, before he inserted his dick inside of his lover’s hole. This particular fuck lasted longer than Michael’s. He spent several minutes sensually going in and out, kissing Michael on the lips as he did so. He rocked in and out, enjoying the feeling of being connected to his lover in the most intimate way possible. Although it seemed like hours of love making, it only lasted ten or fifteen minutes. When Freddy was close to reaching his orgasm, he kissed Michael’s ear lobe, before he shot a smaller load in his husband's asshole.

Freddy kept his softening dick inside of Michael for several minutes, as he peppered his husband’s body with passionate kisses. This is how Freddy thought it should always be. Michael, despite having a fun new experience a short time earlier, felt the same way. The bond may have been psychically broken between them when Freddy pulled his dick out a short time later, but the love the shared with each other was stronger than ever.

When they were done fucking for the night, Freddy took off the collar and got up from the bed.

“Let’s take a shower” Freddy insisted.

Michael nodded, as he joined Freddy in the bathroom. Michael noticed Freddy's dried load on the shower tile from earlier in the day, but made no comment about it. The two of them quickly rinsed each other off, feeling themselves on the verge of collapse. They planned to take a leisurely, sensual shower in the morning. For now, though, they focused on getting themselves clean. Once they were done, they dried themselves off and decided to sleep naked in bed.

“We never get to do this when Evan is home” Michael noted, as they settled into their usual sleeping arrangement.

“Someday” Freddy replied, before he kissed Michael on his neck. “Someday we will.”

Freddy spooned Michael in his arms, holding him tightly in his grasp. Michael felt happy to have Freddy behind him. It was as if he was his protector, making sure he kept him safe. They had many journeys together. They had a lot near death experiences, more than they felt they should have. There were times where they felt they were about to lose each other forever. They also had a lot of fun along the way and planned to have even more fun together in the future. For the two of them, their days of adventure were finally over. The enemies of their love had all been defeated. They had won the right to be together for the rest of their lives.

Freddy and Michael would get to spend many more years living together under the same roof. Someday in the future, they would even get to spend many years without Evan living with them. For now, though, in that very moment, already Saturday at midnight, they were living the lives that they wanted to live in that very moment in time. As they drifted off to sleep together, they were both comforted with the fact that they could sleep in late. It was Saturday, which meant that they could get up later than usual. They planned to sleep in, hoping to catch up from what they missed during the work week. That, for them, was paradise. For Freddy and Michael, in that one moment in time, it was their very own version of a happily ever after.
-----------------

Outro Author's note: Completing this story was very tough for me. Although it didn't exactly end up as I originally thought it would, I like how it turned out in the end. Some of the changes I made during the course of typing improved the story immensely. There are a few things I would have done differently, in hindsight, like in the last story. For the most part, though, I'm very satisfied with how this turned out. Although I felt a sense of relief when I was finally done writing, I also felt a sense of sadness wash over me at the same time. Knowing that this was the end of the road for Freddy and Michael made me feel sad. I’m looking forward to taking a long overdue break. However, I’ll still miss my time in this town and all the residents who inhabit it.

A week ago, I thought about what the final words of this story should be. I felt they needed to be impactful, considering they might very well be the last ones I ever write for this particular story. I thought about the journey that Freddy and Michael had gone on together. I thought about their motivation and why they suffered through all the adversity they faced. Most couples would break under the pressures they endured, but their love was so strong, that it withstood every challenge.

I ultimately came to the realization that their ultimate dream was what kept them together. All of the people who tried to split them apart, through force or by death, made them more determined to stay closer together. They felt it was us against the world. In some ways, it was. When the adventures were finally over, they were happy for one thing more than anything else. They were happy to be a loving couple, looking forward to many more years together in marriage, living under the same roof.

This, I felt, was their version of happily ever after. That is why the last sentence spoke to me so much. It encapsulated their motivation and summed it up into one sentence. All that they had endured as a couple was worth it for that peaceful, if fleeting, moment in time. To them, this was the goal all along. They had finally won the war against those who wished to tear them apart. Their dream from all those years ago had finally come true. It would be the happiest they’d ever be in their lives. Though they’d still have many more happy years together, the immediate feeling of jubilation from all that had transpired was strongest on that night. The highs would lower over time, but their love for each other would remain eternal.

I did not include another option to continue on with the story, because I’m not exactly sure if there will be another one. Anyone is welcome to continue in the direction they see fit, but this might be the end for me. I do have a tentative outline for a potential continuation of the story, but I have my doubts about whether I will ever post it here or not. The days of dog transformations are over. As a result, this possible next part of the story may not get the same show of support from a community that expects transformation based stories to read. It will also not heavily feature Freddy and Michael, but instead, follow the adventures of Evan and Nikolas. If this part three ever comes to this site, it may be many years off. If it comes at all, the option below will say something like "Five years later." Of course, with this coronavirus still a major pandemic that has yet to be cured, it’s hard to say whether that’s such a definitive statement for me to make or not.

Thank you all for liking this story and reading it to its conclusion. May you all be granted health and prosperity to survive the dark days ahead for all of mankind.

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