Chapter 7
CHAPTER 7
SETH
Jon’s gaze softened. The compassion in his eyes made me want to cry even more. My emotions were a jumble of guilt and hope. He pulled me closer and kissed my forehead. “And now you’re feeling guilty?”
I nodded mutely. “It feels like I’m betraying David’s memory even though he wanted me to find someone after he died.”
“He sounds like a good man,” Jon said.
“He was. He really was,” I replied, my voice rough with suppressed tears.
Jon turned onto his side and faced me. “Will you tell me about him? I mean, I know some things from reading about him, but it’s not the same as hearing it from someone who loved him.”
“You want that?” I asked in surprise. “You want to hear about my dead husband?”
He brushed my cheek with his fingertips. “I do. He’s part of your life. He’ll always be part of your life. I would never want to pretend he didn’t exist.”
It was no wonder I felt a connection with this man. His empathy and compassion were just what I needed in my life. “I told you we met in Convention Hall, where he was selling his paintings. That was seventeen years ago. I was initially drawn in by his brilliance as an artist. But once I got talking to him, I was more attracted to his intelligence and quick wit.”
“Seventeen years?” Jon repeated. “I thought you’d only been together for three or four years.”
I shook my head. “Only married for three and half years. We were together for a long time before we got married.” I paused, wondering how much of David’s story I should share. But then I remembered Jon worked with patients like David all the time. “When I met David, he’d already gotten his HIV diagnosis three years before.” I blew out a frustrated breath. “He hadn’t gone to the VNA clinic or the A-Team at the hospital to start on the antiretroviral medication. He was on a self-destruct path.”
“What changed?” Jon asked.
I let out a self-deprecating laugh. “David would have told you it was me who got him to start taking care of himself.” I shifted my position on the bed. Being forty-six didn’t lend itself to staying in one position long. “I like to think he finally realized he had something to live for and that his family didn’t get to define his worth.”
He grimaced. “Don’t tell me, let me guess. Uber religious family.”
“Got it in one,” I acknowledged.
Jon sat up. “That really sucks.”
I joined him, moving the pillows so I was leaning comfortably against the headboard. “It does. They threw him out after they caught him kissing another boy. He was fifteen. The things he had to do to survive only reinforced his belief he was worthless.”
“And that was likely how he contracted HIV,” Jon concluded.
I nodded. “It’s hard to say how long he had it before he was diagnosed. When we went to the clinic to start him on the antiretrovirals, his CD4 count was only just above two hundred.”
“Oh shit,” he whispered.
Oh shit was right. A person with a healthy immune system had a CD4 count of between five hundred to sixteen hundred. David had been close to getting an AIDS diagnosis right then. I shook myself out of the memory. “Thankfully, he responded well to the medications. His viral load went down and his CD4 went up.”
Sadness touched Jon’s expression. “But his expected lifespan was shortened because he didn’t get on the medication right away.”
My stomach twisted. “It was. A lot shorter than we expected.”
He took my hand. “I’m so sorry, Seth.”
I kissed his cheek. “Thank you. We had a good life together. I helped him get his art in galleries and he helped me live in the moment more.”
“If you don’t mind me asking,” Jon began, “why didn’t you get married when it became legal in New Jersey?”
“David didn’t want to burden me with his diagnosis and potential medical problems. We argued about it quite a bit.”
“What changed his mind?” he asked.
I sighed. “It became clear that the medications were no longer slowing down the virus. By that time, David had made quite a name for himself in the art world and had also made a lot of money. I reminded him that if we weren’t legally married, his family could be considered the default next of kin if he died. They could get their hands on everything he’d made.”
Jon’s eyes widened. “I never thought of that.”
“As it is, I just spent the last two years fighting a lawsuit they brought against me. They wanted control of David’s estate because they said I had exerted undue influence over him and coerced him into marrying me.”
“That’s awful.”
“It was,” I agreed. “But it’s over now. David’s estate will be divided between the three organizations in Asbury Park that help people with HIV and AIDS.”
“That’s why you were at the clinic the day we met,” Jon observed.
“Yes,” I replied. “I also gave checks to Project R.E.A.L. and The Center.”
“Wow, that’s great. They’re all good organizations.”
“They are,” I said. “And they all helped David at one time or another. He wanted to give back.”
“And his religious family wanted to keep it all for themselves.” Jon scoffed. “And they call us deviant.”
I moved over so I could straddle him. “I like being deviant.”
A wicked smile turned up his lips. “I might be able to help with that.”
After spending a wonderful weekend with Jon, I didn’t want to return to work on Monday. I compromised by working from home so I could visit Moonlight Inn and speak with the owner, Sean O’Neil. He’d agreed to meet with me over lunch at the restaurant in the hotel. His husband, Jeremy Fitzgerald, joined us.
Sean greeted me with a hug when I walked into the restaurant. “Seth. It’s good to see you. It’s been a minute.”
Jeremy also gave me a hug. “Nice to see you again.”
We sat at a table in a corner close to the Steinway grand piano that was the showpiece of the dining room. It was tucked into a large half-hex alcove with tall leaded-glass windows that let in the summer sunlight that shone on the beautiful instrument.
“Congratulations on getting the lawsuit dismissed,” Sean began after we ordered our drinks.
“Thank you,” I replied. “It was a brutal two years.” I smiled. “I owe Liam and Marco a night out. Marco’s brother, Santino, was a nightmare for them.”
“Good,” Sean said. “They deserved it after what they put you through.”
The server brought our drinks and took our food order. After she left, I leaned forward and put my arms on the table. “I had an ulterior motive for meeting you here for lunch.” Sean just looked at me with a raised eyebrow. Jeremy gazed at me with avid interest. “There is a painting David wanted you to have here at Moonlight Inn as a thank you for being a good friend and advocating for the LGBTQIA+ community.”
Sean blinked in surprise. “Really? That’s…wow, I don’t know what to say. Thank you.”
I pulled out my phone and opened my picture gallery. I found the folder with David’s paintings and clicked on the one he’d specified for Sean, expanding it so he could see it better. I passed him my phone. “He painted it specifically for you.”
Sean sucked in a breath and his eyes went wide. He leaned toward his husband. “Jeremy, look at this. It’s Moonlight Inn done up for Pride.”
Jeremy stared at the picture and then looked over at me. “It’s beautiful. I don’t know how he did it, but he managed to capture the warmth of this place.”
I knew the painting well. David had agonized over it for weeks because he’d wanted to get it exactly right. Sean and Jeremy were good friends of ours during the last two years of David’s life and continued to be so with me, even when I’d decided to become a hermit. The painting showed the hotel bathed in the bright light of a full moon, the windows glowing with a warm light from within. Pride flags were arrayed all along the wrap-around porch and a banner proclaiming All Are Welcome Here hung proudly over the front entrance.
Sean raised shining eyes to me. “Seth, this is gorgeous. I can’t thank you and David enough for this gift.”
“You’re welcome. David was proud of this painting. Your friendship meant a lot to him.” Sean handed me my phone and I set it on the table beside me. “I’ll be going to the storage unit later this week to pick it up.”
“I know exactly where to hang it,” Sean said. “Right in the lobby where everyone who walks in will see it.”
I shifted in my seat. I was wondering if my brilliant plan wasn’t so brilliant after all. But I decided to soldier on. “So,” I began, sure my nerves were showing in my voice, “I’ve started dating someone.”
Delight showed on both their faces. “That’s great,” Sean said. “I know David was worried about you.”
“I know. He was a bit of a mother hen,” I remarked fondly. “Anyway, Jon’s family is having a fortieth birthday dinner for him here.”
Sean interrupted me. “Jon? Do you mean Jon Taylor, Liam’s friend?”
“That’s right. I forgot he was friends with Liam. You probably know him.”
Sean shrugged. “Not well. I’ve only met him a couple times.”
“Anyway,” I continued. I turned my gaze to Jeremy. “I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind playing something for Jon for his birthday. But only if you want,” I hastened to add. “I know you’re busy and probably have more important things to do than play at a birthday party.”
Jeremy held up his hand. He glanced over at Sean. “He’s cute when he’s flustered.” He turned his attention back to me. “Seth, I’m never too busy to do a small favor for a friend.”
Relief flooded me. I hadn’t realized how important that was to me. “Thank you. Thank you very much.”
“Well, we have to help you impress your man,” Sean said.