A bittersweet short story about a lifetime love affair. Henry and Jim have spent a life in love, from the very first date arranged by Henry's sister, through the rocky times they worked to make ends meet, and into their twilight years.<br><br>Old men now, Henry reminisces about the love they've shared as he learns to cope with Jim's fading memory and his own fear of being forgotten by the only man he's ever loved.

Henry and Jim

I couldn’t imagine what he might be hiding from me, why he needed


to wash up alone; there was no reason for the impromptu shower I


heard running on the other side of this locked door. Never one for


waiting, I wedged myself against the doorjamb, knob gripped tight


in my sweaty palm. As soon as the shower cut off, I started


rattling the knob again. “Jim—” I started, but then the lock


disengaged and the knob turned in my hand. “What’s all this


He wasn’t standing on the other side of the


door, so I eased it open and peered behind it. Jim leaned back


against the counter by the sink, a bath towel around his shoulders


that barely covered his crotch. His legs, damp and swirled with


dark curlicues of wet hair, stretched out for miles beneath the


towel. One corner of the towel was caught between his teeth, and he


stared at me with wide eyes full of an anticipation that excited


me. “Well?” I wanted to know. I tried hard to hang on to my sour


Chapter 4