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

Not even bothering about dinner, he went to Heart’s Greeting, and although it was a little early in the year, he found a card and some stickers he thought would drive his point across.


Then he went home, placed the card and the stickers on his desk, and prepared dinner—Stouffer’s macaroni & cheese—all the while thinking about what he would say. 7


Jason’s ass was really dragging when he let himself into his house. It had been the world’s suckiest day, and all he wanted was dinner and a Pepsi. It was a good thing he’d done his weekly grocery shopping the day before and picked up some already prepared meals. He’d have stuffed peppers tonight and…


Shit. He’d forgotten to bring in the mail. He went back to the door, unlocked the mailbox, and removed the only piece of mail in it—a card.


Chapter 17