asked the question on everyone’s minds. “Are you going to play?”
Jason smiled and tried to ignore the way his stomach did somersaults. Or were those backflips? He said it softly, in part because it scared the shit out of him, but also because he was embarrassed they were all making such a big thing out of it.
“Yes.”
Jules hopped out of his seat and launched himself at Jason. “I knew it!” he shouted happily. “I knew you’d do it!” He wrapped his arms around Jason and kissed him long and hard.
A few of them clapped. Alex whistled, and Massi, who’d been watching all of them with wide-eyed wonder—how often did you get to see adults make complete fools of themselves?—asked Alex to show him how to whistle like that. David met Jason’s eyes and nodded.
“So what are you thankful for?” Jules asked after they’d all settled down again.
“Hear, hear,” Sam said as the corner of his mouth turned upward in a smirk. “You don’t think we’re going to let you off the hook, do you?”
A few of the others chimed in their agreement. Jason shook his head and sighed. “Fine. Of course, you know as I was telling that story, I was doing my damnedest to think of something clever. I couldn’t think of a thing, but I can at least sum it up for you. That’s what lawyers get paid for, right?”
Nobody spoke this time. Jason took a deep breath and said, “I’m thankful for second chances.” He blinked back tears. They say you get more sentimental as you get older. He guessed it was true. “My life’s been full of them. This—the music—it’s just one more.”
He felt Jules’s fingers on his forearm and he knew Jules was thinking the same thing. Je t’aime, Jules Bardon.
Fourth Movement:
Vows
“O UR TURN .” Aiden took Sam’s hand and pulled him up from his seat. “We can do this one together.”
“As long as you don’t make me sing,” Sam quipped.
“No risk of that. Too painful.” Aiden laughed, then picked up his glass and raised it. “To good friends.”
“To good friends,” the rest of the guests repeated.
“And in case you didn’t know,” Aiden continued as he looked at Cary, “Cary wanted us to have the party without him. I told him he was an idiot.” Aiden grinned and said, “I think he pretty much called me the same. And while we were both being idiots, David took charge.” Aiden bowed with a flourish. “Leave it to the maestro to make things happen.”
David’s cheeks colored. Aiden wondered if his hero worship had kept him from seeing how genuinely fragile David could be at times. Human.
“We’ve got a little story too.” Aiden slipped an arm around Sam’s waist.
“It all started with a phone call from Cary and his wonderful news,” Sam added. “And a little change in plans….”
Two weeks before
“Y OU REALLY didn’t need to make the reservations,” Aiden said into the phone as he glanced over at Sam. “But we appreciate it. We’re looking forward to meeting Graziella and seeing all of you for Thanksgiving. Thanks again, David.”
Aiden disconnected the call and set the phone down, then walked over to Sam. Sam, who’d been reading through some papers, dropped them unceremoniously on the floor and stood up. “David booked us a flight to Milan?”
“He did. I know he felt really bad about us canceling the reception.” Aiden slipped his arms around Sam and sighed. “He understood, though. He knew I wouldn’t want to celebrate without Cary there.”
Sam could see the disappointment in Aiden’s eyes. They’d started planning the reception at David’s estate nearly three years before. It had been David’s idea. In fact, when Sam had whisked Aiden away from the opening-night party in honor of his Metropolitan Opera debut to propose, David had made Sam promise that David would host the celebration when they finally tied the knot. Wedding in Manhattan at City Hall, then a long weekend in Connecticut with friends and
Jason smiled and tried to ignore the way his stomach did somersaults. Or were those backflips? He said it softly, in part because it scared the shit out of him, but also because he was embarrassed they were all making such a big thing out of it.
“Yes.”
Jules hopped out of his seat and launched himself at Jason. “I knew it!” he shouted happily. “I knew you’d do it!” He wrapped his arms around Jason and kissed him long and hard.
A few of them clapped. Alex whistled, and Massi, who’d been watching all of them with wide-eyed wonder—how often did you get to see adults make complete fools of themselves?—asked Alex to show him how to whistle like that. David met Jason’s eyes and nodded.
“So what are you thankful for?” Jules asked after they’d all settled down again.
“Hear, hear,” Sam said as the corner of his mouth turned upward in a smirk. “You don’t think we’re going to let you off the hook, do you?”
A few of the others chimed in their agreement. Jason shook his head and sighed. “Fine. Of course, you know as I was telling that story, I was doing my damnedest to think of something clever. I couldn’t think of a thing, but I can at least sum it up for you. That’s what lawyers get paid for, right?”
Nobody spoke this time. Jason took a deep breath and said, “I’m thankful for second chances.” He blinked back tears. They say you get more sentimental as you get older. He guessed it was true. “My life’s been full of them. This—the music—it’s just one more.”
He felt Jules’s fingers on his forearm and he knew Jules was thinking the same thing. Je t’aime, Jules Bardon.
Fourth Movement:
Vows
“O UR TURN .” Aiden took Sam’s hand and pulled him up from his seat. “We can do this one together.”
“As long as you don’t make me sing,” Sam quipped.
“No risk of that. Too painful.” Aiden laughed, then picked up his glass and raised it. “To good friends.”
“To good friends,” the rest of the guests repeated.
“And in case you didn’t know,” Aiden continued as he looked at Cary, “Cary wanted us to have the party without him. I told him he was an idiot.” Aiden grinned and said, “I think he pretty much called me the same. And while we were both being idiots, David took charge.” Aiden bowed with a flourish. “Leave it to the maestro to make things happen.”
David’s cheeks colored. Aiden wondered if his hero worship had kept him from seeing how genuinely fragile David could be at times. Human.
“We’ve got a little story too.” Aiden slipped an arm around Sam’s waist.
“It all started with a phone call from Cary and his wonderful news,” Sam added. “And a little change in plans….”
Two weeks before
“Y OU REALLY didn’t need to make the reservations,” Aiden said into the phone as he glanced over at Sam. “But we appreciate it. We’re looking forward to meeting Graziella and seeing all of you for Thanksgiving. Thanks again, David.”
Aiden disconnected the call and set the phone down, then walked over to Sam. Sam, who’d been reading through some papers, dropped them unceremoniously on the floor and stood up. “David booked us a flight to Milan?”
“He did. I know he felt really bad about us canceling the reception.” Aiden slipped his arms around Sam and sighed. “He understood, though. He knew I wouldn’t want to celebrate without Cary there.”
Sam could see the disappointment in Aiden’s eyes. They’d started planning the reception at David’s estate nearly three years before. It had been David’s idea. In fact, when Sam had whisked Aiden away from the opening-night party in honor of his Metropolitan Opera debut to propose, David had made Sam promise that David would host the celebration when they finally tied the knot. Wedding in Manhattan at City Hall, then a long weekend in Connecticut with friends and
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