While I lounged on the bed, Teddy was at his desk with his pen and ink, thinking of what to write. I missed ballpoint pens. They weren't invented until the 1940s. As a lefty, it was hard for me to write with a fountain pen, so I preferred writing with a pencil. Either way, I made a mess.

"I don't know what to write," he said.

"I'm stumped, too," I said, biting the tip of my pencil. "Okay... I'll try."

Dear Teddy,

If there's such a thing as a soulmate, you're it. I never believed in fate, either, but I believe we're fated to be together. When I'm with you, I feel complete. I feel like nothing else matters but us. There is no past or future, only us.

Choking back sobs, I folded the paper and put it on the nightstand. I went to Teddy, cute and sexy in only his shirt and underpants. I stood behind him and ran my fingers through his hair, planting a kiss on the top of his head. He spun around, pulling me into a hug and burying his head into my lower stomach.

"What was your friend's name?" I asked, patting his back.

"Herman," he said, sliding his hands down to my ass.

"How long were you with him?"

"We'd known each other for two years. He was an English professor."

"You have a thing for teachers, huh?"

"We were careless. The police were patrolling the area and caught me on my knees, doing... well, you know. Herman pushed me off him and stepped in front of me, protecting me. I ran off and he was arrested."

Teddy reached inside my pajama bottoms, keeping his eyes on mine as he massaged my dick. Last night we fell asleep at nine, an unusually early night for us, but the lack of sleep had caught up to us. We were more awake tonight, and sex distracted us from the fact that I was leaving soon. Teddy was the best lover I ever had, even though we didn't have modern supplies that would have made it even more enjoyable.

In my younger years, I fell in love with any man who showed an interest in me. I thought I lucked out with Luke, though. We planned on buying a house together. If I'd been a little younger, I would have agreed to an open, poly relationship that he wanted, even though I philosophically and morally opposed it. I had enough sense and self-worth to end the relationship while having the self-confidence to continue with the purchase of the house.

When Teddy and I initially met, I was twenty-two. I'd grown up over the past eight years. Teddy's love was a love I'd never experienced before. I wanted to believe that Edna would help him get back to me, but I wasn't counting on it. For all I knew, this was still a dream.

Just as Teddy was about to tug my bottoms down, I pulled him up and guided him to the bed. "Do you think it's possible for two men to love each other like a man and a woman?" he asked. His question confused me since I'd already told him gay marriage was legal. He'd also mentioned marriage to Edna, alluding to the two of us getting married someday. He had difficulty understanding this concept since he was taught that homosexuality was abnormal and immoral.

"Yes, of course it's possible," I said.

"Because I love you like a man loves a woman."

I nodded, kissing him. Teddy overpowered me, flipping me on my back. Within seconds, we were naked and going at it. He kissed my shoulder hard, sucking on it as he rocked me back and forth.

"I'm coming for you," he said. "I promise I'm coming for you."

Teddy was so convinced we'd see each other again that he almost convinced me.

***

At breakfast, everyone discussed their plans for the day. Jimmy planned on taking Billy, Millie, and their friends sledding, along with his newest girlfriend, Hazel. Teddy claimed that Jimmy was just showing off to her. Helen was going to a birthday party. The other girls were helping with laundry.

Teddy had other ideas. "Eric and I are going ice skating. Hey, Jimmy, can Eric borrow your ice skates? George's are too big for him."

"The last time you skated you almost broke your neck," Jimmy said. "Maybe you'll do us a favor and fall through the ice." Jimmy hadn't forgiven him for attacking him and forcing him to give up Edna Moran.

"Hey, that's enough," Mrs. McDonough said. "What's gotten into you two lately? You've been fighting like cats and dogs."

"Can he borrow your skates or not?" Teddy asked.

"Sure," Jimmy said. "Do what you want."

I'd never put on a pair of skates in my life and wasn't too sure I liked Teddy's plan. "I've never been ice skating," I whispered to Teddy.

"I'll teach you," he said. "We're going to Sandy Pond. It's a great spot... close to the state forest."

Everyone laughed when Teddy said he'd teach me to skate, which made me even more unsure.

Teddy sensed my unease. "Relax, Eric. It'll be fun."

I hoped he was right.

Teddy and I walked five miles to Sandy Pond. Crowded with families and couples, Teddy and I were the weird ones, with neither children nor dates. If anyone asked, Teddy told them I was a visitor from out of town, which was sort of the truth. Others recognized me as the substitute history/English teacher and waved hello.

Ten seconds after my feet hit the ice, so did my ass. Teddy doubled over in laughter, laughing so hard he slipped, landing on his ass beside me. I only laughed when Teddy fell, and not when I fell. My ass was on fire. "We'll go around once," he said, helping me up. "And then we'll call it quits."

"Why'd you take me here?" I asked. "We both suck."

"Suck? That means bad, right?"

"Yeah, terrible."

"Maybe I just wanted to see you fall on your butt. Besides, there's a great place in the forest where no one goes."

I took a few baby steps before falling again. I would have preferred sledding, but I was excited to visit the spot Teddy mentioned. Teddy made it twenty more feet before falling again. He laughed more than I did, scooting on his ass around the pond.

After this afternoon, I'd had enough ice skating for the rest of my life. I sat in the snow while Teddy made his way toward me. He was amusing to watch.

"You're better at falling than skating," I said as Teddy plopped down beside me.

"I guess I thought I was better. Helen's pretty good. She can do tricks and stuff."

With our skates dangling from our shoulders, we trudged through the forest. Alone with only the trees and snow, Teddy slipped his hand in mind. "Relax," he said. "Barely anyone comes out here in the winter."

"I've never been here before. Is this where you and Herman were caught?"

"No. We were caught in an alley."

Teddy stopped in his tracks, pushing me against a tree and pressing his lips firmly against mine. "Wanna warm your hands? They're always cold." He undid his snow pants and pushed them down to his thighs.

"Are you crazy?"

"Just do it."

"Teddy, I don't know—"

He grabbed my hand and thrust it in the front of his underpants. He gasped, shuddering.

"It's snowing," I observed, enjoying the warmth of Teddy's groin.

"So it is. Don't stop." He closed his eyes briefly, moaning quietly as his dick hardened in my hand.

"The cold turns you on."

He nodded, bringing his lips to mine. We fell to the ground, kissing long and hard. He encouraged me to go down on him as the snow fell. He tilted his head up, staring up at the sky through the pine trees as I pleasured him. He held my head, guiding me and moaning my name as he filled my mouth. Teddy sighed, taking deep breaths. He laughed as I released him, kissing his mouth again.

"I'm gonna miss you," I said in between kisses.

"We're gonna see each other again," he said confidently. "Edna and I have a plan."

"Edna and you? You sound like you're best friends. I don't trust that whack job. You know what's gonna happen? I'm gonna leave, and we'll both forget each other. I'll only feel like I was loved. What the fuck does that mean? I'm leaving with a broken heart. I'm leaving you with a broken heart, not a grateful heart. What the fuck is the point of me being here, anyway?"

"Can you stop saying the f word?"

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck." I jumped to my feet. "Fuck!"

Leaning against the tree, Teddy ignored my last slew of obscenities. "Who's the writer who said it's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all?"

"Who gives a fuck? It was an English poet, Lord Tennyson, and it's a bullshit phrase. I would rather not have a broken heart."

"You're leaving, but I know you're gonna be okay and we're gonna see each other again. I just feel like it's gonna happen."

"I'm going home, and I'll probably forget your name and everything about you."

"That's why we're writing letters so we won't forget. Calm down, Eric."

"I can't." Tears blurred my vision as I stormed off. My walk turned into a run. The heavy snowfall and my wet, salty tears blurred my vision, so I didn't see the rotting log or the ditch beyond it. I tripped, falling hard onto the cold ground. The crack and shooting pain in my right wrist wasn't a good sign. "Fuck!" I cried out, sitting there, holding my throbbing wrist.

Chasing me, Teddy jumped into the ditch and knelt in front of me, panting.

"I think I broke my fucking wrist," I said.

"Oh, shit. We better get you to the hospital."

Lowell General was the closest hospital, and one of the biggest hospitals in the Merrimack Valley. After a short wait in the ER, I saw Doctor Berman. I assumed I'd be stuck in the ER for hours, but I only waited an hour. Nowadays, the average waiting time in this hospital was six hours.

Cigarette smoke clouded both the waiting and examination rooms. It was odd seeing doctors and nurses smoking wherever the hell they wanted.

The X-Ray machine was large and cumbersome, but it did the job. With a cigarette between his lips, Dr. Berman examined my X-ray. "You have a small hairline fracture," he said. "You'll need a cast for a few weeks. Just wait here. We'll take care of that for you."

"Fuck," I muttered.

Teddy elbowed me, telling me to shut up and watch my mouth.

"You're not the one with the broken wrist," I said.

I walked out of the hospital with a white cast on my arm from my hand to my elbow.

"Does it hurt?" Teddy asked.

"Yes, like a son of a bitch."

"A swig of whiskey will help. Let's get a drink if you're up for it."

A double whiskey sounded like an even better idea.

Words: 1892
Total words: 24898