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

This card, though—it appeared too…normal


Nothing was crossed out on this, so the kicker must be inside. It would either be some ridiculously saccharine printed sentiment or else something so inappropriate, it would take him weeks of dedicated hunting to find a card that would top it.


He opened the card, startled to see it was all handwritten, and not in his sister’s elegant penmanship. This was a very neat, but obviously masculine hand, and he scanned it quickly.


Hmm. This wasn’t from anyone he knew. It must have come to him by mistake, and it seemed to be from a guy whose girl had left him.


First of all, Merry Christmas. I know it’s belated, but I hope you had a wonderful holidayThe next line had been covered with whiteout, and written over it was Mine was fine.


I also want to wish you a very happy birthday. You didn’t think I’d forget, did you?


Chapter 11