A love story told in answering machine messages. Saying “I love you” to someone who says it first, isn’t supposed to lead to a break-up, but that’s what happens to Sully and Lou. Sully is out and proud while Lou is in the closet, so when their relationship deepens, Lou runs. But then Lou starts leaving emotional messages of remorse on Sully’s answering machine. Sully is torn between his love for Lou and his attempts to get over him. With each message, Lou’s regrets deepen. With each message, it becomes more difficult for Sully to forget him. With each message, Sully finds it harder to want to move on. Can old love poems and heartbreaking honesty help Sully and Lou find their way back to each other?

Late Night Poetry

If he’s surprised I’m sitting so close to his corner, he doesn’t let it on. He just plops his ass down next to me with another grunt and shuffles around a little until his shoulder brushes against mine. I expect him to move, but he doesn’t. The gesture makes me turn my head away and swallow.


It’s so like my father. When I was younger, I thought the gruff exterior and the lack of any overt emotions meant Frederick Sullivan Winslow was a cold and unloving person, but I’ve since come to realize I couldn’t have been more wrong.


Chapter 4