"Luke you can't do that to me!" was the first thing Noah said to him on their next Sunday visit, once Nicholas had settled down

"Do what?" Luke asked, faking ignorance.

"You can't leave the story hanging like that! I spent the whole week wondering what the hell," he withdrew the now crumpled and well read sheet of paper from his pocket, "and I quote, 'rocked me to the core'!"

"Well bubby, I have to do SOMETHING to keep you coming back to this boring place every week…"

"Luke!" and he spoke with a grin from ear to ear at the sight of him, "You know very well that there is NOTHING in this big old wide world that would keep me from coming to see you! God! I'm going mad without you!" he gripped Luke in a half hug, impeded by Nicholas who sat happily on Luke's other hip and committed the act he had been dreaming of every night for a week. He planted a firm kiss on his lips.

"Mmm…" Luke hummed and Noah quickly found himself regretting the decision regarding the conjugal visits.

"You're a sight for sore eyes, you know that?" he asked running his hand down Luke's free arm.

"You too." Luke's eyes positively glowed with the pleasure of seeing them.

"Luke! I made-ded a sandcastle!"

"That's great Nicky! Was it big?"

"Yes the biggest! I made doors from shells!"

"And who lives in your castle?"

Nicholas frowned at him, "Nobody, it's sand silly!"

They laughed.

"I think you need to ask Noah to read you some fairytales!" Luke informed him.
"So?" Noah interrupted expectantly and impatiently, "Where is it?"

"What?"

"You KNOW what! Come on, cough it up!" he pleaded.

Luke smirked and withdrew the newest section of his story from his pocket snatching it back teasingly as Noah went for it, and then finally handing it to him in exchange for a peck on the cheek.

"So are you going to tell me, or do I have to wait until I'm home to read this first?" He hesitated when he saw a definite flash of sadness cross Luke's eyes and he frowned, "What is it baby?"

But the smile was back, "I'm okay. It's just been on my mind, that's all. Read it and we can talk next week."

...

Draft Story by Luke Snyder

Draft Chapter Continued (unedited)

It had been another long day at the job centre for Kevin. Compared to most it had been fairly successful. He'd managed to get three interviews lined up, but of course that didn't guarantee anything especially with the current competition for jobs in the market place. The fresh pile of red envelopes that spilled from the mailbox as he opened it, just served to reconfirm the predicament he and Sam were in. His stomach tied into further knots at the sight of them.

He had originally started his working life as a lifeguard on Venice beach and that was where he met the red haired and freckled Samantha. She was working at an all night diner and he treated her after she received a nasty jelly fish sting. It was love at first sight. She was amazing! Bright and bubbly! To her the world was only filled with delights and she savoured every one of them!

After they were married a year later he realised pretty quick that his meagre pay package wouldn't get them very far. Other than sports there was only one thing he was ever good at during his school years and that was carpentry. So he went back to school at nights, learning to study the trade until eventually he became fully qualified and self employed. He worked mainly on private homes, obtaining jobs through word of mouth. He was a hard worker and produced excellent results. People liked him and in time he had a steady stream of jobs lined up.

Times had been good to them and soon he and Samantha had saved enough to put down a deposit on their little LA apartment. It wasn't much, but it was theirs, their dream start up home, paid for by their own sweat. Granted it was still a little over what they could afford, but the mortgage advisor assured them that they would be fine. His salary paid for the flat and her waitressing paid for bills and food. He neglected to mention they'd have nothing left for savings...

"The good days are only set to get better." The man behind the bank desk had brightly told them.

They were young and naive and they believe him. And for a while it was totally worth it, even if it meant they had to forego their occasional nights out.

And then Mia was born.

Mia was Daddy's girl from the moment she opened her bright blue eyes to frown curiously up at him. She stole his heart and his breath and he spent every spare moment he had bonding with her. She was a pure gift from heaven.

"There wasn't anything I wouldn't do for Mia." He told me, a faraway look in his eyes and it was at that point that I saw the deep pain in them. This man was carrying a major heartache. I could tell.

Mia was two when things started to turn. Banks were failing and so were businesses. The more people that got laid off, the more of his jobs that got cancelled. Nobody needed a carpenter in a recession.

Eventually he had to admit he wasn't bringing in enough to cover their living expenses and after a month on baked beans he joined the job queue, hoping there was still at least one construction firm out there hiring.

Another month went by and nothing! He even tried to get his old lifesaving job back, but he was out of shape and anyway, they weren't hiring.

Then they were struck another devastating blow.

Samantha was asked to leave the restaurant. They could no longer afford their night shift staff. People didn't eat out in a recession. She tried to find other work, but doors were quickly slamming shut as purses tightened.

Pretty soon things were spiralling outside of his control. With no savings to see them through the hardship, the debt collectors were quick to come calling. They tried to ignore them but large and scary looking men banged on their door day and night, sometimes breaking in and each time walking off with another piece of carefully and lovingly chosen furniture. It was devastating and took an obvious toll on their relationship.

"We started to fight all the time! She started to drink too! I had never seen her like that, you know? She was so unhappy, really depressed. Worse than that, I felt nervous leaving her alone with Mia... She was just so unpredictable! But I didn't have any choice."

"I'm sorry." I told him, I felt terrible for him.

...

The sun was shining, the birds were singing and it was as if in mockery.

He stood at the foot of their freshly made bed staring at the side where Luke would usually sleep, trying to imagine him there, his hair spilling around his head like a golden halo. A deep throbbing ache in his chest had been there since he'd woken that morning, and he'd tried to ignore it by frantically spring cleaning the entire apartment.

He'd stayed home from work. He just couldn't face another day of smiling and conversing with colleagues, pretending everything was okay, whilst his insides felt like shattered glass. Those smiles were soul destroying because they were lies. He wasn't okay! And, he realised now, he really wasn't coping. In fact he was on the verge of totally losing it.

He sat on the floor by the foot of the bed and scrunched his knees up. He had the pages of Luke's latest instalment in his hand. He hadn't finished reading it. Nicholas and work and general exhaustion had gotten in the way. But maybe those were just excuses.

The week before Luke's story had really helped. It had focused Noah's mind on this other man's life rather than on their reality. But this week it just hurt. It hurt to read lines Luke had written, in that style so undeniably him. It just intensified that gut-wrenching loss he felt. Lately the smallest thing could spark off the ache of absence, and tears would just spring to his eyes uncontrollably, like right in that second.

The empty days were getting harder as well as longer and he wished he could simply sleep the week away until Sunday. Sunday was now the only day that mattered. He thanked god for Nicholas. Despite everything the boy could still make him smile and even laugh at times. The child kept him getting up in the morning. He loved that kid!

Jasmine had been watching Nicholas during the days while Noah was at work. She had offered to help them when she learned of their predicament and it was a huge relief to them, knowing he was with somebody he knew and was comfortable with, but Noah had kept him home today too and the child appeared now in the doorway, swaying with his arms behind his back.

Noah didn't even bother trying to hide his pain from him. He couldn't even though he wanted to. The emotions had found a way to break through.

Nicholas entered the room and slipped down the side of the bed to sit beside him and Noah placed his arms around his shoulders, naturally, without even being fully aware he was doing it.

"You miss Luke, Noah?" he asked, looking back up at him with sad blue eyes.

Noah nodded, trying to smile, unable to trust his voice.

"Luke will be home soon." Nicholas said, softly petting Noah's knee as he paraphrased what Noah had both told him a few times over the weeks.

"I know, baby." Noah kissed the top of his head and the two of them sat in silence for a while before taking a walk down to the beach.

...

Draft Story by Luke Snyder

Draft Chapter Continued (unedited)

A few years ago I was given an inheritance that allowed me to set up my Foundation. The Foundation focuses mainly on underprivileged or sick children as well as on gay rights issues that are close to my heat, and so I've heard plenty of unemployment stories before, but never one like this. And straight from the sufferer's mouth too. As one of the lucky few people in the world who has never had to worry about money, it's a real eye opener for me to hear a real life account told from the mouth of a real person like Kevin.

So Kevin returned home earlier that usual that night, opened the mailbox to the depressing sight of unpaid bills and made his way inside. He had only just placed the mail and his keys on the side table when he heard the bang. He'd never heard gunfire before but he'd watched enough movies to know what it was, and it had come from upstairs.

"I screamed their names! You know? Sam? Mia?" he told me, "My first thoughts were that we had an intruder in the flat!"

Once he reached the landing he frantically checked the nursery, their bedroom and then flung the bathroom door open.

"I can't..." he chocked, it was obviously difficult for him. "I can't tell you what it was like. The horror of it!"

His wife's blood and brain matter had splattered across the white bathroom tiles and onto the opposite wall. She lay face down, crumpled on the floor in a pool of blood, the gun in her had and a hole in her head. Her summer dress was soaking wet and clung to her skin.

But worse than anything was Mia, floating face up in the bath...

Note to Noah: It was terrible! You should have seen him after he told me this! I feel so bad. It's made me realise how lucky we really are! See you next week. (Love you bubby...)

...

"Shit!" Noah said to himself as he lay across the couch, only now starting to understand the sadness he saw in Luke's eyes, "Poor guy! You're right Luke," he said to the empty room, "we really are lucky!"

He sat up and yawned into his hands. It was late and he'd picked up the story after watching a black and white movie. Now he wondered if he'd be able to sleep at all. His mind was caught up in the horror of this stranger's life. He wouldn't even allow his thoughts to go there… to imagine himself in that position, finding Luke and Nicholas… No! That would definitely be the end of him.

He couldn't help but wonder what the guy had done to end up in detention.

"Well, I guess that will be answered next week." He muttered, standing up and stretching before making his way down the passage to bed.

He hadn't lain there long before he saw the bedroom door open and felt the mattress move as Nicholas crawled into bed with him. He didn't disturb Noah, just rolled into his regulatory ball and closed his eyes. Noah leaned forward to kiss his cheek and then lay on his back, one hand behind his head; the other smoothing Nicholas's curls gently around his finger. He stared fixedly at the ceiling.

...

Unbeknownst to Noah, in a single bunk bed, in a cell across town, Luke was doing the exact same thing. Except instead of Nicholas's hair, his fingers toyed with a t-shirt of Noah's he'd taken with him. Noah had worn it the day before Luke's incarceration. It still held his scent and he held it up to his face and breathed in deeply before focusing on a spot of dirt on the ceiling. At least he thought it was dirt but he supposed it could have been a squashed bug.

It was silent in the centre except for the occasional echoing cough from an inmate, or footsteps from the guards outside. Kevin was making soft snoring sounds in the bunk above him. Luke wondered how the guy had gotten over his loss enough to enable him to sleep without nightmares from the past. He held a huge level of respect for the man.

He thought about Noah, trying to formulate a clear picture of his face in his head. He started with the broad forehead crisscrossed with black fringe, then moved onto the eyes. Those amazing crystal blue eyes that never failed to melt his heart. Then… and he smiled to himself… then onto his noble nose and beautiful, oh so kissable lips.

He sighed deeply, feeling tired and listless. He wondered if their connection was strong enough for him to send Noah a message telepathically. He closed his eyes and focused in on the image of Noah's face in his head. A shiver, delicious and warm, comforting, washed over him and he mentally sent the message out into the universe.

...

Unbeknownst to Luke, in their double bed, in their home across town, Noah's body shivered in response.

...

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