High school, Ryan thought, had been a bit of a slog. Whenever he wasn't part of a production, he'd dreaded walking through the halls and seeing that clique he couldn't join. Sure, Gabriella Montez was kind enough, but the jocks? Not a chance. Maybe they'd nod and smile, but not in front of anyone else.

That all changed when senior year began and he was accepted into the fold. That part wasn't sluggish, that part seemed to go too fast, even. The summer was speediest of all, when he and Chad Danforth got together. They spent most of their non-working days together, Chad teaching Ryan why video games were fun, Ryan dragging Chad down the stairs in his house to the Evans family's makeshift karaoke bar. Ryan would mix drinks, sipped so blissfully and illegally, and they'd invite the others over and sing bad pop songs and revel in their final pre-college days.

Now, four years of academia had sped on by. Even without Chad, Ryan's days at Julliard were the fastest, least laborious he'd ever had. Sure, the classes were hard, and the directors of his out-of-school productions tended to work him to the bone. But Ryan was in his element, both in the classroom and onstage. He'd choreograph while he was at Julliard and act when he wasn't, and then he'd get home and call Chad and his day would be complete.

Now, they were 22. In his second semester at University of New Mexico-Albuquerque, Chad seemed to realize two things. One, he was more intelligent than he gave himself credit for. And two, he cared about something that had never even crossed his mind: he wanted to teach others what he'd gleaned from a life of loving sports. And so, when he graduated, Chad would move to New York and begin applying for physical education jobs.

If Ryan thought about slogs, this one had been the hardest—Chad making the decision to move to where his boyfriend was. It seemed to take years for Chad to realize that this was the right thing for him to do. In reality, Chad probably hadn't even thought about where he'd be living post graduation until that final semester. He didn't determine where he'd be for sure until April. Now, the plan was set. The move would take place in June. And Ryan would be ready for him.

Always, Ryan's parents had picked up some of Ryan's rent, no questions asked. The Evans family was very well off, and there was no struggle to pay for any expenses, provided Ryan did contribute some on his own. This year, though, he'd done the impossible: by apprenticing at a theatre company, taking a number of roles, leading and otherwise, in performances throughout the last four years, and working extremely part-time at a Starbucks, he'd earned enough money to pay his own rent. And with Chad coming to share the apartment, Chad of the Lava Springs summer employment and part-time job in the athletics department at the university, that would be the case for the foreseeable future.

Granted, Ryan's apartment rated somewhere beneath mediocre. But that was how it went if you were living in New York and anything but ridiculously wealthy. It had never bothered him. He was never 100 percent comfortable with his pampered existence before college. Now, he felt like he was striking it out on his own, being his own person, and that felt a lot better than silk sheets and three square meals a day prepared by a meagerly paid cook named Lupita.

And for the time being, it wasn't as though he was in his apartment for much other than sleeping. In February, he'd landed the role of Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing, his favorite of Shakespeare's works. An average day consisted of serving drinks in the wee small hours of the morning, one of the two classes he still needed to complete to get his BFA, and an afternoon and evening at the theatre. The same company he apprenticed for was putting on the play, but they'd brought on a new director, so Ryan was fairly convinced no bias factored into his casting. He'd always wanted this role, and now, it was his. Even better, Chad would be bringing some of his things in May, and his visit coincided with opening week. And even better than that, Ryan didn't have exams in either of his classes, so there would be no pressure of testing hanging over his head. His time offstage would be for Chad exclusively. And nothing sounded better than that.

Soon came the first week of May, when opening night was approaching fast and Ryan caught his breath by having lunch with Kelsi Nielsen. As they were in completely different departments at Julliard, they hardly every had a chance to get together. But this semester, neither was quite so strapped in terms of classes, so they'd been eating at least a couple meals together a month.

"So, I need some help, Kels," Ryan said over salad—a ridiculously delicious one at that. The restaurant was perhaps more decadent than usual, but with the end of the semester so close, it seemed worth it.

"If this has to do with guys, I don't want to hear it." Kelsi hadn't had the greatest luck with the men of Julliard. She'd dated the same boy for a year and a half before he cheated on her with her roommate. Then she got set up with multiple gay students, and was on hiatus after that.

"Are you sure?"

Kelsi laughed. "What's going on? Chad giving you trouble?"

"Never." Ryan sighed and Kelsi rolled her eyes.

"I wish you guys weren't so adorable. Then I could be appropriately disgusted by that."

"But that's the problem. He's not giving me any trouble. He never has. He's always been perfect. And I think the consequences of such a relationship are pretty obvious." Ryan reached into his pocket and took out his wallet. Opening the tri-fold, he pulled out something he'd carried with him for months: a plain silver ring with a small Celtic knot at the center.

A lettuce leaf dropped out of Kelsi's mouth. Ryan laughed.

"This can't actually surprise you that much. We've been together almost four years now."

"Well, yeah, but..." Kelsi shook her head, still looking utterly shocked. "Marriage? For one thing, it's not legal—"

"Well, who cares about a piece of paper? We can have a commitment ceremony or some shit like that, right?"

"It's funny when you cuss."

"You know what I mean, though, right? Marriage is a symbol. There doesn't need to be physical or legal proof."

"How long have you had that ring?" Kelsi asked.

Ryan thought for a moment before replying, "Two years, give or take."

"Ryan, that's ... ridiculous."

"Not really. We've known that whole 'You're the one' thing since, I don't know, three years ago?"

Kelsi shook her head. "I would give anything to have what you guys have."

"Wait for it, Kels," Ryan said, putting his hand over hers. "You're going to find someone. He's going to be amazing. You just have to wait sometimes."

"You didn't."

Ryan snorted. "Since seventh grade I did."

And, he thought to himself, he didn't have to anymore.