Ben Haggerty is devastated when he returns home from work to discover his lover of eight years has gone off to complete his master's degree at another college -- and left no forwarding address. Not only has Ben chosen Rick over his beloved family, but he's supported his boyfriend both financially and emotionally the entire time. Unable to remain in their shared apartment, Ben moves and spends a miserable holiday season alone. With the New Year, however, he's determined to make a fresh start, so he manages to obtain Rick's address and sends him a card asking if Rick ever plans to return. Somehow, the card winds up in the wrong mailbox.<br><br>Jason Prescott is a genius, having obtained his first master's degree at twenty-one and now working on his second. When he receives a card in error, he returns both the card and a card of his own to be courteous, expressing his hopes Ben can get in touch with his boyfriend. This begins a correspondence that leads to friendship, and ... the start of something more? Jason introduces Ben to his family and reunites him with his own.<br><br>But will Jason, who's even smarter than Rick, be satisfied with someone as ordinary as blue-collar Ben feels himself to be? Or will Rick, realizing what he's let slip through his fingers, manage to persuade Ben to take him back?

Always, Ben

“—it will take me another three years to get my master’s in physiological chemistry here at Howe.” He scowled. “I’d have it sooner in a better college…” This time he shrugged. “Figure three years.”


“You always were the smart one, Rick. Will you get your doctorate here as well?”


“Of course not. It’s never a good idea to do your graduate work in the same university where you get your master’s. I’ll finally get to go up to Cornell. I know of some grants and fellowships I can take advantage of.” He scowled again, and Ben knew how upset Rick still got every time he thought of what happened to the trust fund his dad had left for him.


Rick continued as if he hadn’t heard Ben. “I managed to get the Avogadro-Lavoisier scholarship.”


“You did? Oh, Rick, that’s amazing.” Ben had no idea what that was, but he was happy for Rick.


Chapter 5