Hope

After Todd's mother dies from cancer, he moves back to his hometown in the foothills of the Appalachians from Chicago. It's 1997 and he's just been given a death sentence -- an HIV-positive diagnosis. Todd expects his remaining time on earth to be spent alone. But Cal, his handsome next-door neighbor, has other ideas. Cal is not the only surprise in Todd's new life. Todd begins having visions of an older woman, Essie, when he dims the lights. Is she just a figment of his imagination? Or is she a truth teller? When she talks to Todd, she's smart and hopeful. When Todd tells Cal about the ghost, Cal knows her already because Todd's mother spoke with her before her death. Essie was a godsend when Todd's mom was in so much pain. And now, Essie urges Todd to live ... for himself ... for new love. But is she too late?

Rick R. Reed · LGBT+

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11 Chs

Chapter 5

“Actually, Miller is the champagne of beers. This is, I don’t know what, maybe the….” Cal’s voice trailed off as he presumably groped for a parallel analogy and came up empty-handed. He plopped down in the chair next to Todd’s and set the beers on the little round folding table, also redwood, between them. Cal leaned forward to pop the cans open. They hissed and the yeasty smell of beer filled the summer twilight, making Todd’s mouth water. He snatched up the can and took a long swallow, emptying at least half the can at once. He held it away from himself and belched.

Cal laughed. “A class act through and through. I knew I’d like you. Later we can see who can make the loudest fake farts using our armpits.”

“Cool.”

They stared at one another. In the dimness, Todd couldn’t make out the piercing green of his eyes, but he could make out Cal’s interest. Todd gulped down the rest of the beer and set the empty back on the table, crushing it down with a fist.

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