After retiring from his career in construction and trying to cope with the death of his wife, Isaac York experiences an infatuation for a lifelong male friend and discovers his world fills with sunflowers and a risqué transition. Isaac moves to Lake Samoy in search of a new life, to abandon his past, and to start a fresh relationship with a famous and sexy man named Nebraska Close, whom he falls head over heals for.<br><br>Nebraska Close, a professional photographer who is drawn to summer nights and a younger man’s skin, finds pleasure for a second time in his life. Unconditionally he falls for Isaac and mixes together his lust, photography of sunflowers, and homosexual longing.<br><br>Isaac's son, Nicholas, lives at Lake Samoy and doesn't understand his father's lack of interest in his mother's fatal illness. With the help of Nebraska Close, Nicholas confronts his father’s sexuality, and Isaac learns to love his son again.

Nebraska Close

H. Maximiliani: Unseen in the woods. Clicking the button on his 35mm Nikon. Photograph after photograph. Sixty-four prints in all. Of the cabin in the woods. The lake. The grieving son. Hidden in the woods behind a massive oak tree. Certain of his mission. Satisfied with this outcome. He takes pictures of the son swimming in the lake, coming up for air, sunbathing on the narrow pier. Entranced by the young man, a replica of his father. So handsome and plain at the same time, like his father. Attractiveness among nature. Photographable. Easy on the eyes. He stays and gawks at the son until he runs out of film, escaping through the woods, back to his cottage and the sunflowers.


Chapter 8