Hank:

We made good time to Strom City before I knew it there were only a few turns left before we would reach my street. I figured I should give her a heads up about what awaited when we got there. Kamal knew about my unexpected passenger and had already put fresh sheets on the guest bed. He enjoyed playing the gracious host.

“Hey so I know I mentioned I didn’t live alone but I figure I should tell you what I meant,” I started saying. She looked at me attentively. I cleared my throat, “I own three dogs, and my partner Kamal and I co-parent.” I paused, waiting for any uncomfortable comments.

She blinked in surprise, “That’s cool, I love dogs. What kind are yours?” she asked, grinning.

I chuckled in relief, “We’ve got a Burmese mountain dog, a yellow lab-retriever mix, and some kind of cattle dog mutt.” The question put me at ease; I could talk about my dogs all day.

She laughed, “Aw, how cute! What are their names?”

“The mountain dog we call Bernie, Maya is the lab, and Kamal named his mutt Link after The Legend of Zelda character,” I answered.

“Those are cool names,” she returned, still giggling, “How long have you and Kamal been together?”

I shifted a bit in my seat, “about seven years.”

She shrugged, “that’s cool.”

I chuckled to myself, “cool.”

Joan:

I’m glad Buckee has so many dogs. People who like animals tend to be good people. I was a bit nervous about meeting his boyfriend, not that I worried that he was dangerous. It was more of a jittery feeling that happens when one finds oneself in the role of an unexpected guest. Being a grateful, polite guest was important to me. My parents had raised me that way. Oh god…my parents. I took a bite of a Three Musketeers and tried to swallow it along with the uncomfortable lump in my throat. It didn’t work. Another bite reminded me that this was my mom’s favorite candy bar, one that we all would eat at least once on family road trips. My eyes burned so I turned to look out the window and regain composure. Stupid candy bar. I took a big swig from my water bottle and kept my eyes tilted up so no tears could slip out. Water, concentrate on the water. Cool, crisp water. Water is calm, water is essential. Water is emotionally detached. I sighed and the moment passed. I had called my dad the day before when we stopped for gas. My explanation for my absence was adequate enough to keep him and mom from calling the police or tracking me down. I said I’d text whenever I changed locations and call as much as I could. Lying to them hadn’t bothered me, but the quiet voice in my head that kept hinting at the possibility that I may never see them again did. I shook my head to dispel the unhelpful thought; I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. We pulled into a small suburban neighborhood. It was surrounded on all sides by crops and grazing fields. Other than looking a bit historic, it was like any American suburb. Buckee parked along the side of a cute one-story cottage with an open front porch. The lawn and garden were maintained but not anally so. Good, I hated to see overly trim and rigid yards. There was a bench swing attached to the porch ceiling. All in all, it looked welcoming. I heard dogs barking as I got out of the car. The front door opened and two dogs that had to be Bernie and Maya leaped off the front steps and bounded toward Buckee. He affected a voice most adults reserve for toddlers as he pet them and let them lick his face. It was a pretty cute picture. The dogs turned their attention to me next with those happy go lucky dog smiles that brighten the gloomiest of days. “Hey doggies,” I cooed unabashedly, as I gave them both a hardy petting. They licked at my hands and wiggled their butts as I talked to them. I was now in love with these dogs. Looking up I realized that Buckee had walked up to the porch to where the person who must be Kamal stood. They were sharing a very tender embrace that made me feel sheepish for watching. I turned my gaze, instead, to Link who was looking at me shyly from behind Kamal. Buckee released his partner and gestured for me to approach so I could be introduced. I gave a small wave and walked toward them.

“Hi, nice to finally meet you! Hank told me you were coming to stay with us,” Kamal said brightly. So that was Buckee’s real name, I thought, weird.

I stretched out my hand, “Hi, I’m-” but he cut me off with a hug before I could finish.

“Sorry, I’m a hugger, not a hand-shaker, but what was your name?” he replied, releasing me.

"Joan," I answered, a little dazed by the hug. It had been a while since I'd been hugged, it was nice.

Kamal smiled, “Welcome to our home Joan, come on in you must be tired.” He waved towards the door and we all followed Link inside.