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

Okay, he guessed Ben wasn’t able to forgive him for being such an immature jerk.


He found a card. This one would go to his sister. It had a baby on the front and promised to teach new parents all they needed to know to amuse their little bundle of joy. When she opened it, she’d see a tiny foot. “This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed home…”


You know these cards I send to you? Well, I started sending them to a gentleman who…


No, she’d think he was nuts. He whited it out.


I think I’ve found the man of my dreams. Only I don’t know what he looks like. And he’s involved with someone else…


That was even worse. He came across sounding like a home wrecker. If his sister read that, she really would drive over to his house and smack him. Out came the whiteout again.


So, how are things with you? Seen any good movies? Have you and Fred decided to make me and Eddie uncles yet?


Chapter 25