Steve and Phil had no choice but to confess the truth, that they had been having frequent sexual encounters, even though at that moment I saw Steve get sad.
It was not surprising that he had fallen in love with Phil, after all, he is a true gentleman, funny, kind and with a huge heart, but he never dared to tell Phil that what he felt exceeded the limits of friendship.
Deep down Phil felt the same way, but that didn't come out until years later, when Steve, unfortunately, couldn't hear him anymore. One morning, arriving at his house, Joe and I found him unconscious, on the floor, surrounded by bottles, we carried him to the hospital but it was too late... Telling Phil hurt almost more than finding him dead.

Joe and I on the other hand, we started a relationship full of love to the bars, how much I loved that man, it just couldn't be written.
I loved every detail of him.
His soft hands, his caresses in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep, his itching when United won a game... Speaking of football, I played again, Joe encouraged me, and since then I feel real fulfillment, music and soccer makes me happy, and Joe hasn't missed a game since the day I started.

A part of Phil died with Steve in 1991, by which time I had been together for eight precious years with Joe.
Steve's misfortune led us both to think about what our lives would be like if the other disappeared.
Without a doubt, I would not know how to live again without Joe's care, without his pampering, I would not be able to sleep in an empty bed again.

Joe must have thought something similar, and this happened several months later:

-Hey savvy... Do you think Steve would have told Phil he loved him if... He had known he was going to die...? He looked at me, we all sank in sorrow when Steve left

-... Of course he would have done it... And surely Phil would give anything to have him in front of him for a minute and let him know everything he feels... -I saw how he put his hands in his pocket, we were walking under the light of the Moon, near the cemetery, we used to go tell Steve our things, as I said, it was very difficult for us to get over his departure, we denied to ourselves that Steve had left.
-Well... I don't know when I'm going to die... I don't know when you're going to die either... And even though I hope that in both cases it will be within many, many years... I guess it's a good time to remind you that I Love you... And to do this... -he took out of his pocket a little blue velvety box, and when I opened it I found two silver alliances, with an inscription of the exact day we met.
I looked into his eyes on the verge of tears.

Joe and I got married as soon as same-sex marriage was legalized in the UK, both of us dressed in white suits, Joe in a gorgeous top hat, and a jacket a little longer than mine.
I don't think I've ever been so happy in my life.

-Dad, it's time for the little one to rest, story time is over. -my daughter came through the door, to take my grandson away

-but mom! Grandpa didn't finish telling me his story!

-Come on honey, grandpa always tells you the same story...

-Grandpa... Where's Joe Now?

-...Together with Steve... Little curious... Your grandfather hasn't seen Joseph for many years... But do you know something?

-what grandpa?

-wherever he is, I know that Joe is still taking care of me... And when I disappear, I won't be gone, I'll just be reunited with him... -my daughter took the boy to her room, I opened my bedside table and took out the photo of the one who had been, and was, my great love.

I closed my eyes, and when I finally opened them, I woke up again in his arms.