It's been eleven years since Nick ran off with David for the West Coast. And though his life resembles a blue dream, after more than a decade of bar tending in resorts and cruise ships, Nick is finally thinking of heading home. First, he needs to go see about David in Vancouver ...<br><br>When he arrives, Nick finds a community of young men devastated by AIDS. Part of him wants to flee back to Montreal, but David is dying and Nick knows his place is by his best friend's side. In those four days and nights in David's apartment by the English Bay, Nick learns more about himself than he ever did before. When it's all over, he packs his bag and locks up his grief, determine to honor the promise he made to David of opening up his own restaurant.<br><br>Five years later, Nick is gaining a reputation in the industry as a chef, but has yet to have any meaningful relationships. Until Derek O'Reilly, that redheaded kid with the avocado-green eyes he used to know, walks into his dining room and ignites Nick's passion once more.

Blue Awakenings

All right, Derek was beautiful. Granted. But beauty had never had me shaking like this. No, it wasn’t his looks that were putting me under a spell, it was his voice, the gentleness in his face, his sweet, honest smile. We’d only talked for a minute, but I knewthis man. I’d watched over him years ago. I’d held his head on my lap once, after he’d beat himself up out of frustration and despair. It was all coming back to me now in waves and waves of memories. Memories I’d suppressed. I’d been in his lonely apartment next door to ours and had had dinner with him and his wonderful Aunt Fran. I’d danced with this kid. Had told about him my dreams. I’d wiped his tears and comforted him. He knew who I was. Not this fabricated version of myself, but the man before…Davie had died. The two of them were linked, in some strange way.


More reason not to go back into that dining room and ask for his number. Especially now that I was facing the biggest challenge of my life. Fatherhood.


Chapter 25