29. DANNY

As the days melded into weeks and the weeks into months, I found myself marveling at how my life had changed. A year had passed since Bruno and I had embarked on this journey together.

Despite Bruno's meteoric rise to success, we had chosen to remain in the apartment on the Lower East Side, at least for now. There was a comfort in the simplicity of our surroundings, and it seemed that we could wait to shift things around, even though it meant one or other of us shuttling uptown to Evan's school every day for while.

Eventually, Kelly moved back from London and settled back into her old apartment. We agreed that we would keep having Bruno most of the week, and she would have him on weekends, which gave us alone time, just to be a couple in their own space. Evan changed schools at the start of the new school year, so that I could walk him there in the morning.

It actually all worked out well. Kelly liked to say, "I knew Bruno was gay all along," but I think in a way us being together settled things between them. She and Bruno didn't exactly get on now, but they were more at peace, and Evan got to have both his parents around. And me, as well, I guess.

I had bid farewell to my old life, selling my apartment back home and putting my money in the bank until we were ready to buy a place together. We talked about areas in which we could buy; different ones had their pros and cons. We had yet to find our shared home, and there was no rush, no sense of urgency. Sometimes, we even wondered about offering the landlord of the Avenue C apartment to buy from her. Who knew what we would do?

In the quiet moments of our evenings, as the city buzzed outside, Evan and I would retreat to his small bedroom, the floor strewn with LEGO and dreams yet to be realized. I was officially in the big bedroom with Bruno now, and we slept together every night, all night, no more creeping around.

Together in Evan's room, we would build towering skyscrapers or forts or European castles. I would tell him about how arky-tecks really built things, and he talked endlessly about becoming one one day. Evan had begun to call me "Danny Daddy" quite naturally. It just came out one day and stuck. I told him if he wanted just to call me Danny, he could, but he loved calling me "Danny Daddy." I felt so complete in having a family life for the first time in my life.

In the year that slipped by, I found myself at a crossroads. It was a year of change, of upheaval, and of daring to choose the life you wanted, not the one you felt you ought to want.

Bruno supported me initially in just taking some time out. Still, eventually, I made a decision about my career that I had been harboring almost since the day I noticed an old store on the Lower East Side occupied by an independent practice. I chose not to return to the corporate architecture world but instead to strike out on my own.

Starting my own practice was no small feat. In the beginning, it was a lot of work, a lot of emails and pitches, but slowly, gradually, work started to come in. By the end of the year, I was earning a living and enough to take on some assistants. I could see how the future would form, just as Bruno had when he was a struggling freelance writer.

There was an irony in our journey, of course. When Bruno and I first embarked on this adventure together, I was making this grand statement of easing his financial burden.

And yet, as that year passed, it was Bruno who now found himself in a position to offer me financial support, and time, and freedom. I owe him so much. He made me so happy. I could not regret a thing of what had happened, and even the difficult time apart was worth it because it showed us how much this mattered.

Together, Bruno and I forged ahead, our hands clasped tight, our hearts in sync. One undeniable truth remained: I had found love in Bruno, a love that defied everything I was raised to believe about myself and which had taught me so much about myself.

Together, we walked the streets hand in hand, unafraid to display our relationship. With his hand in mine, I had found the safety I had so long craved. I found my place to stay.

One year exactly to the date of my return, the three of us stepped out onto Avenue C. We were headed out with a great destination ahead. With Evan skipping ahead, his laughter echoing through the crowded sidewalk, Bruno and I fell into step beside him, talking as we often did about whether we should stay around here or move.

It was about five when we headed out, and we walked a long way and stopped to get a burger. The aromas of sizzling meat and melted cheese wafted through the air. We settled into a cozy booth and waited for our order. Evan sucked on a straw in a strawberry milkshake.

"Danny Daddy, do you want some?"

"I keep telling you, buddy, I don't like strawberries."

"Pfft," my little guy went. "Everyone likes strawberry!"

I shrugged.

"Not me."

Evan considered this.

"What do you like?"

"Um," I said.

"I like Daddy." Bruno smiled and blushed a little.

"Pfft," Evan said again.

"That's 'cause you're in love. You have to like the person you're in love with."

I nodded at him as if he and I "got it."

"Very true."

"What else do you like?"

"I like burgers," I said. "I like Coca-Cola. I like architecture."

His eyes were on me very firmly as he sucked on the straw with tight lips. He stopped sucking.

"And…?"

I grinned and then tapped his arm lightly, playfully.

"I like my best bud!" I cried, and he giggled.

The waitress came out with our order, three plates of burgers piled on her arms, and it was just as well, or else I might have shed a tear there and then.

As we emerged after eating, the early evening sun bathed the city in a golden glow. I knew that there was nowhere else I'd rather be than right here, in the heart of New York City, with my beloved Bruno and our precious Evan by my side.

We walked on until we came to the madness of Broadway, the spine of the city. Amidst the sea of bustling crowds and honking taxis, the historic Strand Book Store stood as a beacon of New York literary tradition of generations of book lovers. The fa?ade of its huge building was adorned with ornate architectural details that spoke of a bygone era. You just knew that inside, the scent of books would be calling. We got to the store entrance and stopped.

There was a huge poster attached to a stand, and on it was a picture of the cover of A Place to Stay and Bruno's photograph, very professional. He looked so beautiful in it. The poster read:

TONIGHT

BOOK LAUNCH FOR brUNO BURGESS'S NOVEL

A PLACE TO STAY

THE MOST ACCLAIMED DEBUT NOVEL OF THE YEAR!

"Incredible!" The New York Times

"A masterpiece" The Washington Post

"A wonderful new talent" The London Times

The store's window was filled with copies of his book. As we stepped inside the Strand Book Store, towering bookshelves lined the walls. The warm glow of overhead lights illuminated the space. Everywhere we looked, readers were turning to look at us as they awaited the arrival of the celebrated author. Someone from the publishing company rushed over: "Bruno! Bruno!"

Here and there, I saw people we knew: Bruno's sister, Nicole, had flown in from home, and Marlon, with whom I had surprisingly become a gym buddy. But then I looked at my guy. His blue eyes sparkled with excitement, his smile radiant as he saw his future. I was so proud of him. Applause started to swell around us, and I placed my hand on the small of Bruno's back.

"I love you so much," I whispered, and he turned and looked at me.

"And I love you, too," he replied.

"Go and be amazing," I said.

I watched as Bruno stepped forward, his footsteps echoing against the polished floorboards of the bookstore. He was about to embark on a journey that would catapult him into the spotlight, and I would watch every moment and know how happy he was now, and that, in turn, would make me happy.

He disappeared into the crowd. And as I watched him fade into the throng of well-wishers and admirers, I knew that no matter where this journey took us, our love would always be the guiding light, and we would never be separated again.