When they graduated from high school in 1962, best friends and secret lovers Jim McCutcheon and Ronnie Mayer had high expectations for the rest of their lives. Six years later, both are back in the small Nebraska town they called home, and worse, no longer together.<br><br>Once the golden boy, Jim now works on his grandfather's farm, away from the town's disappointment he didn't end up at NASA. Ronnie lives in his parents' basement, recovering from the blast that sent him home from Vietnam. Neither is where they want to be, but it takes a special request from Ronnie's mom for Jim to swallow his pride and visit.<br><br>Though it doesn't go well, it opens the door for the two young men to start communicating. One question haunts them, though. Have they changed too much to find their way back to each other again?

Silences of Fallen Stars

She knew nothing about his shame in having to ask for help and visibly brightened. “Oh? Where?”


“Jim invited me out to the farm.” He phrased it that way to sell it better, but the “invite” was more Jim joking as he was leaving that living outside of town was just as good as your parents’ basement when it came to privacy. No mention had been made of Ronnie stopping by. The hope had been behind the words, and they both knew it.


“That’s wonderful.” Mom was already moving, tossing aside the towel before heading to the front room. “You boys should’ve been spending time together long before this.”


He doubted either one of them had been ready before this, but she didn’t want to hear that. He waited as she wound her scarf around her head, then followed her out to the garage.


Chapter 6