Tad

Epilogue

As the years went by, the boys journeyed each April to New York City until they graduated from high school. They had been considering colleges or universities in the City. Tad wanted to study natural science, while Marco wanted a musicology degree with the aim of eventually either teaching or working as a music critic.

They both settled on NYU. The school wouldn’t provide all of what they wanted, but they were determined to be in the City, preferably near Greenwich Village. After their first year at the school, the rented a tiny apartment just outside the Village boundaries but close enough that they could enjoy the perks of living there, including the bookstores, small restaurants, and entertainment events, both formal and informal.

Early in their years there, they frequented gay bars and restaurants, but as they grew older, they tired of men and boys trying to pick them up. There were many attractive and not-so-attractive gay men available, but they remained committed to each other and eventually gave up the bar scene.

In their apartment, they continued to explore and enjoy each other’s bodies. They never tired of their physical as well as their emotional love. Tad found that Marco was turned on by having his toes sucked, while Marco discovered that Tad’s desire to be a bottom in anal sex far outweighed his pleasure when he played the role of the top. Marco was fine with that. He loved cumming inside his lover.

After they completed their graduate studies, they remained in the area. Both Tad and Marco found jobs teaching in smaller colleges in the city. While Marco had inherited a great deal of money, the boys wanted to be independent. Tad eked out his income giving guided tours in Central Park on the weekends, while Marco wrote music criticism for the Village newspaper.

They knew that if they were willing to leave the city, they could find better paying jobs, but somehow the city sang to them and they responded with their love of it. The city wasn’t perfect. They knew it could be dangerous, especially in places where it wasn’t wise to venture alone, so they seldom did that, and never at night.

They both took the summers off and returned to northern New York State to be with family and friends.

It saddened the boys that they couldn’t have children, but they hoped in time the laws would loosen and make it possible for them to adopt.

Woody married happily. He and his wife remained in the area with their three children, but they moved out of the cabin. Occasionally they would visit Tad and Marco in New York, where the two showed Tad’s niece and nephews the sights, just as Marco had shown Tad so many years earlier. As the children grew older, they visited Tad and Marco during their spring school vacations. They didn’t mind sleeping on the floor in the apartment and Tad particularly enjoyed having them visit.

As people will, Marco and Tad grew older. Neil died when he was 76 and Rachel followed a year later. When the boys finally retired, they moved back to northern New York and cleaned up the cabin and lived there.

Although they never adopted children, they had the pleasure of spending time with Tad’s grandnieces and grandnephews.

One summer afternoon as they sat on the cabin porch drinking iced tea, a strange car pulled in and a man about their age climbed out. Approaching the cabin, he said, “Hello, Ted and Marco. Long time no see.”

At first they didn’t recognize him, but then the dime dropped and Tad said, “Wyatt?”

“In the flesh,” the man replied.

Marco got him an iced tea and Wyatt, who had remained local all his life, sat and filled them in on what had become of people they had known in school.

Finishing that, he was silent for a moment before he said quietly, “Tad, I suppose that you knew I had a big crush on you?”

Surprised, Tad replied, “I never knew. Is that why you were there to help me up when Marco attacked me?”

“Yes, and that’s why I followed you into the restroom that day.

“After that, over the summer, I finally persuaded myself to tell you, but when school resumed in the fall, I realized that you and Marco had somehow grown close over the summer and I’d lost my chance.”

“Are you gay?” asked Marco.

“Yes, but in this little town there’s not much to pick from. I did a little online dating when computers made that possible, but nothing came of it.”

“I’m sorry,” said Tad. “I don’t really know what to say.”

“Oh, there’s nothing to say, and don’t be sorry. I’m glad you and Marco are together. It’s truly a beautiful love story.”

With that, he put down his glass and climbed into his car, waving as he drove away.

Tad and Marco sat in silence until Marco said, “Well, I’ll be damned.”

When Marco died at the age of 81, Tad buried him near the cabin with the help of his grandnieces and grandnephews. He lived out the rest of his days there. When he died, Woody’s family buried him next to his friend and love.

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