"Oh yeah," yelled Greg, and then he walked out from the bedroom with a stack of magazines in his arms.
"What about all these?"
"What? Theyāre classics! I have to keep those!"
Greg held up one of the magazines "The inaugural copy of 'Dragazine'!? Andrew, who knew? What else are you keeping that Eric doesnāt know about?"
"That old 50's chair," I said, pointing to a tattered floral patterned easy chair.
"Thatās ugly. I wouldnāt want that in my house."
"Itās ugly now. But itāll look great after I refinish it. Give me something to do."
"Yeah," Greg remarked. "It'll give you something to do so you donāt Īdoā Mark Fitzgerald."
I froze. If I donāt move suddenly, I wonāt deck him.
"Aw come on.......spill it, Andrew! Who is this guy?"
I took a deep breath. I had to tell someone, I suppose. It might as well be Greg. I picked up my yearbook and pointed Mark out in the swim team picture.
"He was my first..." I hedged.
"What," Greg pressed. "First kiss, first date, what???"
"My first -- everything! Okay?" I blurted out. "He was my first real relationship." My head was in a whirl remembering that first night. "He kissed me on the Senior Lawn."
"Wow. Thatās rich. Did you do it?"
"Yeah, we did it."
Greg came with his perennial question. "How big?"
"None of your damn business!" I bit back, realizing it may have sounded a little harsh.
Greg caught it too. "Oooooh, is there some unfinished business, Drew?"
I grabbed the yearbook, and took one last look.
I thought to myself, ĪThis time next week you'll be living with the man you love in a beautiful house, a place thatās home.ā I suddenly broke into a big grin and felt reassured.
"No," I said. "Business is all finished."
I closed the pages on my yearbook, saying good-bye to Mark Fitzgerald. I hope.
