Divorce can be nasty. Clement discovers how nasty gay divorce can be as he surveys the damage wreaked by his ex-partner in their soon-to-be-sold home. After cleaning the mess, he goes for a late coffee and dinner snack. The lone barista, Troy, recounts his traumatic car accident drama as they close the shop and share coffee and leftovers. Troy also reveals the pain of rejection he's felt for being gay. The two men share another connection: the next day, Troy starts a new position as a social worker, and Clement is a counselor, as well. So the next morning when Clement drives Troy to his new job, he knows they may cross paths again. It comes sooner than expected, though, when Clement returns to Troy’s office with an abused gay teenager who has nowhere to go. Try as they might, Troy and his new coworkers can find no available foster family. Suddenly Clement finds himself with a potential new family. Can things work out for the three of them?

Define Boink

I turned my back on Derrick, hoping he would take the hint and leave. Tonight, I would pack up the red cut glass vases and cups and put them in the trunk of my car. Tomorrow morning, I’d leave.


As the line inched forward, Troy called my name, correctly, and I smiled as he handed me my refill.


“Are you going to be open on the holiday?” I asked, hoping to not sound pathetic. I should probably ask my mother if I could come over, but she always had the whole family there and had never invited me, or us, before, so I didn’t really want to, not even with the cut glass as a gift for her. I hope she still liked them. They meant nothing to me, personally.


Troy nodded. “I’ll be here,” he said quietly, with what I thought was resignation.


Well, so would I, I thought, but I did not say it out loud.


Chapter 2