When Michael Knapp brings his lover Dan Biggs home to meet his parents, he doesn't expect things to go smoothly. His mother's been trying to marry him off for years, and sometimes he isn't even sure his father knows he exists. He has always felt like the shadow son, competing with his terminally stupid older brother and smart-mouthed little sister for his parents' attention. Coming out to them over dinner seemed like the perfect opportunity to finally get noticed.<br><br>But an unexpected phone call interrupts his announcement -- Aunt Evie, the family matriarch, is dead. With Dan in tow, Michael follows his family to Sugar Creek, where he spent his summers growing up, to prepare for the funeral.<br><br>Amid an overabundance of memories and relatives, Michael's world begins to slip. His dysfunctional family, Evie's death, and an old friend's confession all threaten to smother him. Worse, in his grief and confusion he seems determined to inadvertently push everyone away, including his lover. Can he and Dan move beyond his family and his past to a new life together, before Michael's insecurities tear them apart?

It's All Relative

In the hallway, Penny stops me with a light hand on my arm. “Michael?” she asks, unsure. She still sounds drugged, and her gaze wavers between me and Dan but can’t seem to focus on either of us before flittering away again. “What happened? Who’s arguing?” At the closed look on my face, she adds, “What’s Laura said now?”


“Nothing,” I mutter, pulling away. I don’t need her concern, I don’t wantit. Right this second, my mind is too clouded to keep my voice civil, I don’t care who I lash out at while I’m like this. I should’ve never woken up this morning. No, I should’ve never gotten out of bed. Everything was fine when it was just the two of us beneath the sheets—I should’ve locked the door on the rest of the family and maybe I wouldn’t be in this mood from hell.


Penny’s eyes widen, and a hand flutters to cover her mouth. “Michael,” she sighs. “I’m not the one you’re fighting with here. Keep that in mind.”


Chapter 70