J.M. Snyder

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

Just thinking of him makes my heart race and my palms sweat. “Is Dan with you?” I ask as I climb out of the closet. Over precariously stacked boxes, overstuffed bags, through the plastic that rustles and clings to me…when I finally break free, I find my sister sitting on the edge of the daybed, peering over Ginger’s shoulder as she flips through the photos. “Caitlin?” I ask, but neither of them look up at me. Brushing dust from my jeans, I want to know, “Have you seen Dan? Cat—”


Chapter 73