It Is, and Was, True Love
In 1960, puberty hit. I desired men. Shame shoved me into the closet. Eventually, I wanted fatherhood; laws required I marry a woman. Luckily, I met an amazing woman, the love of my life, and had wonderful children. Yet, I was hurting; I drank for decades. I found sobriety, then courage to come out to my wife. She declared: “You’re one amazing man among men. I love only you.” Love kept us together until Alzheimer’s took her. My eulogy expressed our devotion. I came out to our children; “Dad, spend the rest of your life as you.” Today, I do. — Richard Steele
What I Can Do
My husband flew out for work the night before Iran attacked the Persian Gulf. Between government alerts blaring on our phones and intercepted missiles lighting up the sky, I try to stay calm for the sake of my children and widowed mother. An hour before iftar, I spot the community cats from my kitchen window. Unable to contain my restlessness, I step out to feed them. Despite the trembling skies, they’re here, waiting as they do every day. We may not know what tomorrow holds; today is all we have. I’m here. They’re here. And for now, that is enough. — Sanobar Sabah
Orbiting Each Other
We’d known each other online for nearly two decades, though we rarely spoke. A few years ago, when she visited Seattle from Beijing, I slid into her DMs, inviting her for coffee. Two years later, we met in Tokyo. Last year, she joined me in Paris and Prague. I booked a room with double beds, cautious of the distance we’d maintained for more than half our lives. But when the lights went out, she crawled into my bed and asked me to hold her. At 35, I lost my virginity, perfectly late, with the woman orbiting my world all along.
— Andy Chan
Makeshift Shelter
The storm came a month after my Mom died, threatening to rot my newly planted dahlia tubers. My friend Brittany resolved to save them. She held down trash bags as they flapped in the wind, taping them onto seemingly unstickable wet pots. White, lavender-scented plastic with orange straps, anchored with blue painter’s tape — my garden was every color but green. I tried to stifle a giggle. Her eyes glimmered with recognition. Suddenly, both of us were cackling like we had in high school. Gasping for air, rain and tears in our eyes. — Jennifer Grannen
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