Date: Wed, 05 Jan 2022 10:51:34 +0000 From: Wes Leigh Subject: Misunderstood, Chapter 28 (Gay Adult/Youth) MISUNDERSTOOD By Wes Leigh This is a work of fiction intended solely for the entertainment of my readers; any resemblance to any real people or places is purely coincidental. This story is the property of the author and is protected by copyright laws. The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. If you enjoy this story, please support the Nifty archives today with a thoughtful donation by visiting https://donate.nifty.org/. Chapter Twenty-Eight Alan Wright knelt beside his son's bed, searching. Against the wall, he found what he was looking for. A cell phone. He reached under the bed and retrieved the phone, then tried powering it up. The screen flickered and died. He found a charger that worked with the phone and plugged it in, letting it charge overnight. The next morning, he turned the phone on again. The screen still flickered but the phone stayed on. It was just barely alive. He pulled up the contact list and scrolled through it. There were only a few. Gray. Law Guys. Luigi's. Mom. He wrote down all the phone numbers, but he was almost positive the first one was the only one he needed. Then he pulled out his own phone and dialed a close friend. "Peter. It's Alan Wright ... Doing good. How's your family? ... Glad to hear it ... She's better now. Furious with me, but we're working through it. It didn't help any when Andrew ran away again. She blames me for that ... Yes, that's actually why I called. We don't know where he went, but I have a pretty good guess. I need your help, in a professional capacity." Alan read off a phone number with an Oklahoma area code. "I need you to get me all the info you can on that number ... Yes, I know, Peter. I don't want you to get into any trouble with the Chief, but I wouldn't be asking you if it wasn't important ... Yes, if anyone asks, just tell them Andrew is in danger." Of losing his eternal soul, Alan thought to himself. *** Blue walked around the fence, checking for loose boards and unlocked gates. So far, so good, except for one gate that was a little rickety. Blue made a mental note to mention that to Gray and the family that lived there. Gray sat with the family, sharing suggestions for managing a Pitbull. They had applied to adopt Angel, one of the red-nosed Pits. They had never owned a Pittie, so they were eagerly listening as Gray explained the peculiarities of the breed. "She'll be absolutely and completely loyal, devoted to each of you. She'll love you with all her heart, and she'll expect your love in return. That means she'll want your attention 24/7. Are you comfortable with her being an inside dog?" "Absolutely," the mother of the family replied. "We were planning on that, to be honest." "She's gonna sleep with me," the twelve-year-old boy said. "I want her to sleep with me," the seven-year-old stated, not wanting his brother to get all the attention. Gray laughed. "You might be surprised, boys. She'll probably sleep with whoever gives her the most love." "Then it will be me," the twelve-year-old claimed. "Nuh uh. I'm gonna love her more." "Settle down, boys," the dad jumped in, stopping the argument. "We'll all get a chance to love her as much as she can stand when she comes to live here." Blue came over and sat down. "The yard looks good. That back gate over there needs a bit of tightenin' up. Angel's a strong dog, and you don't want any place she might break out." The dad nodded. "That gate's always been a little wobbly. I'll take care of that right away. Anything else we need to know?" Gray checked his notes on Angel. "Everything looks great. You don't have any other dogs, and I recommend you keep it that way. Angel's not dog-friendly. We've tried to socialize her with the other dogs at the farm, but so far, she's not cooperating." The mom glanced nervously at her children. "Does that mean she poses a danger in some way?" "No," Gray replied, "not a danger, but please keep in mind that Angel's no different than any other dog. She's not the demon that some people believe every Pitbull is. Nor is she the angel that her name might lead you to believe. She's a dog. And every dog has the potential to be dangerous. Veterinarians will tell you they get bit more often by little dogs like Chihuahuas than big dogs like Angel. It is very unlikely that Angel will ever bite anyone, but she might, especially if she gets in a fight with another dog and you try to break it up. The bite of a Pitbull can be very serious, so you have a heavy responsibility to be alert and keep her from any situation where her aggressiveness could hurt anyone or any other dog." The dad frowned. "I can see now that owning a Pitbull is not as simple as I thought it would be." "It isn't," Gray agreed. "On the one hand, Angel is extremely friendly with people. Almost every Pitbull I've ever met is. I have run into a few who were so seriously mistreated that the dogs were scarred by their experiences. Those dogs require close supervision and extreme loving care. But I can assure you that Angel is not one of those dogs. From what I've seen, you and your family will be more than capable of handling the extra responsibilities that come with owning a Pitbull like Angel." Gray paused and thought for a moment, then continued. "It's also important to remember that she is dog-aggressive. Do you remember where I had Angel housed? In the very last kennel in my barn, with an empty kennel between her and the next dog? I didn't do that because I was afraid she would fight with other dogs. I did that because I wanted Angel to feel comfortable where she lived. I knew that having another dog next to her would upset both dogs, so I took action--as a responsible human--to see to it that the dogs were not exposed to unnecessary drama. That will become your responsibility if you adopt Angel." The dad looked surprised hearing that. "I never would have imagined that she needed separation from other dogs. She seemed very friendly when we came to your farm for our first visit." Gray nodded. "As friendly as Angel is toward humans, she is not friendly toward other dogs. I can't tell you why. Maybe she was bullied by bigger dogs when she was young. Maybe she had a litter of pups and those pups were threatened or killed by other dogs. We may never know why she is dog-aggressive. You can keep working with Angel, trying to teach her to get along with other dogs, but she may always fear and mistrust other canines. You must be prepared to accept this part of her personality, because she may always struggle with this. Here's the important part: this is not a serious problem as long as YOU--her masters--know about it and handle her accordingly." "So she will be safe with the children but not around other dogs." "Right. You--the humans in her life--are responsible for knowing her personality, knowing her abilities, knowing her hot buttons, and knowing how to keep her safe and loved." Blue nodded agreement. "I didn't know anything about Pitbulls a year ago. And I got to say, folks, I love `em now. They're a great breed of dogs, but they ain't for just anybody. You folks gotta understand what she's about and be completely sure you're ready to take her into your home." Gray added, "Angel is a tremendous dog. You will be getting a dog who is devoted, loving, powerful, and energetic, but also aggressive toward other dogs. It's a package deal. As long as you folks know this and can accept this, you can be safe and happy together." The dad and mom looked at each other. The dad turned back to Gray and Blue and said, "We fell in love with Angel the second we met her at your farm. We want her here. Right, darling?" The mom nodded. "Absolutely." "When can she become a part of our family, Mr. Langston?" Gray looked over at Blue. Blue gave him two thumbs up. The yard, the house, and the family had all passed the final inspection. "Give me a few hours," Gray replied. "Blue and I will go get Angel and bring her back to her forever home!" *** "Wha'cha thinkin' about, my dude?" Blue asked as they drove back to the farm to pick up Angel. "Huh? Oh, just something I realized back there when we were talking to the family about Angel." "What's that?" Gray smiled. "I just realized how we're not all that different from these dogs." "Yeah? What'dya mean?" "Well," Gray said, "When I told that family that Angel might never change and that the important thing was for them to accept her as she is, I realized that the same thing is true for all of us." Gray turned his hand over in the seat between them, motioning for Blue to take his hand. Blue placed his hand over Gray's, and they twined their fingers together. "You and I and every other person on this planet are the product of everything we've experienced so far in our lives. When I was a boy, I had a very embarrassing experience with a neighbor boy, getting caught by my dad playing with his boner. Because of that one horrible experience and the way my parents reacted, I shut down sexually. I was afraid to be myself, until you came along and drew me out of my fear. And you, Blue, when you were a boy, your dad never loved you like he should have. When you ran away from home and experienced all kinds of crazy sex with men who didn't treat you right, you started thinking that you didn't deserve to be treated right. That stuck in your head, until I came along and showed you what it meant to be loved and cared for." Blue slid over and leaned his head against Gray's shoulder. "I guess we're just two of the luckiest dudes alive. God brought us together and look what we got now." Gray nodded. "Yeah. Look at us. We'll always have those scars from when we were growing up. In one way, those scars are a part of who we are now. I think I realized that for the first time today, Blue. And I'm grateful that I have you in my life, someone who understands me and accepts me and loves me, just the way I am, scars and all." Blue smiled and scooted closer, squeezing Gray's hand. "I'm grateful too." Gray whispered, "I love you, champ." Blue nuzzled his cheek on Gray's shoulder. "I love you too, my dude!" *** The phone number provided Alan Wright with a name, Grayson Langston. With a little more searching, Alan found out that Langston owned a farm about an hour's drive from Tulsa, Oklahoma. He also learned that Langston had registered himself as a homeschool teacher for Andrew Gabriel Wright last year, and that Langston had renewed the registration for the school year coming up. "Got you now, you perverted son-of-a-bitch." *** Blue ran into the kitchen, out of breath. "Gray! We got a problem!" Gray slid the casserole into the oven and set the timer. "What's the emergency, champ?" "It's my dad. He knows." Gray turned around and looked intently at Blue. "You better fill me in on everything. Sit down." The two dropped into chairs at the kitchen table. "Just got off the phone with Mom. She said Dad figured out where I am. She doesn't know how he did it, but he told her I was here, with you, and he told her they was comin' get me. With cops and everything. Dad plans to have you arrested and then take me back to Amarillo. Fuck, Gray! What are we gonna do?" Gray put his hands on the table. The veins on the back of his hands were throbbing as his heart pounded. Blue reached over and placed his hand on top of Gray's, rubbing his thumb gently across the back of Gray's hand. Gray looked up and smiled grimly at Blue. "Well, we're forewarned. That's half the battle. Now we just need to figure out what to do. I better get on the phone and start working on a strategy. Starting with your mom." *** Fear and worry made for a nerve-wracking afternoon. After learning everything Blue's mother could provide in the way of information, Gray spent almost an hour talking to his dad and the other lawyers at Finnegan Law Office, coming up with options, discarding several that everyone agreed were not going to work, and finally arriving at the only possible solution. But unfortunately, it was a solution that would require cooperation from Dayna Wright. Gray called Dayna back. She listened as Gray explained what they needed to do, but she simply couldn't agree to what he suggested. She was torn in two, pulled between love for her husband and concern for her son. She didn't know what to do and was desperately hoping for a solution that wouldn't require her to agree with how Gray proposed to fix this mess. How could she do such a thing? It went against everything she'd ever been taught, everything she believed in. Without her cooperation, Gray wasn't sure what to do next. He sure as hell didn't want Blue to run away again. But until Blue turned 18, he was forced to do whatever his parents demanded. If Blue was here when the Wrights showed up with the cops, he would have to go with them. And then there was the even bigger issue they were ignoring because it was too frightening to even consider. Gray wasn't at all sure he could avoid jail time if they pushed the matter of Gray sexually molesting Blue. The kid was only 15, and the age of consent in Oklahoma was 16. Gray held Blue in his arms, knowing that tonight might be the last night they'd have together. Blue seemed to feel the same. His hug was so tight Gray was struggling to breathe. Gray reached behind his back and unlatched Blue's fingers, loosening Blue's death grip ever so slightly, then moved away just a bit, but remained wrapped in Blue's arms. He took Blue's face in his hand and held it softly. His silver eyes flashed as he stared into Blue's azure orbs. Love hurts so very, very much, but it also causes the heart to soar to heights it would never reach on its own. Despite it all, Gray would never have traded away the love he now had for this young man. He leaned in and kissed Blue, ever so gently, pouring all his love into that one kiss, knowing Blue would understand and accept what was offered and give it back in full measure. They didn't make love that night, but they expressed their love with encouraging words, gentle caresses, and adoring glances, finally falling asleep late, late in the night. *** Morning came all too soon. Gray stood on the front porch, waiting. Blue stood beside him. The dogs were locked inside, none too happy. A Sheriff's SUV drove over the hill and down into the driveway in front of the house. Behind that was a blue sedan, carrying Alan and Dayna Wright. They parked and doors opened and the occupants stepped out. Blue and Gray watched from the porch, standing shoulder to shoulder, presenting a united front. They had hatched a backup plan. It was a desperate plan with little chance of succeeding, but it was all they had. Gray put his arm across Blue's shoulders, protectively. Blue defiantly wrapped his arm around Gray's back and clasped Gray's shoulder from behind. Alan Wright glared at them, detesting the vulgar behavior on display. Two men touching each other that way! In public! Dayna Wright saw the two together, but her heart interpreted it in an entirely different way. What she saw was partnership, two people standing together against all odds. It was something she hadn't felt with Alan for years. She remembered a time long ago when they had touched each other and their love had made her feel invincible. But no more. There was no love. No touching. And strangely, Alan seemed hellbent on destroying even the faint memory she had of it. The deputy sheriff approached the porch. "Mr. Langston," he said with a nod in greeting. They knew each other well, having worked together on cases of abandoned and abused dogs. "Deputy Ralston," Gray replied. "Can I help you?" "Yes, sir. We're here at the request of Mr. and Mrs. Wright over here. They say their son, Andrew, ran away from home, and they've come here to take him back." The deputy looked over at Blue and nodded. "Hi, Blue. Or should I say Andrew?" Blue nodded, then swallowed, and said, "Yes, sir. But I'm tellin' you right now, I ain't goin' anywhere with a man who verbally and emotionally abuses me." Blue stared down at his dad. "If you try to make me, I will go straight to Child Protective Services and I'll tell `em everything you've done. You push me on this, Dad, and I'll see your ass in jail over it." "Why, you arrogant little son-of-a-bitch," Alan spit. "After all I've tried to do for you--" "Alan!" shouted Dayna, "He's your son!" The deputy held up his hands, interrupting. "Folks. Let's keep this civil, please. If y'all can't keep quiet and let me handle this, I'm prepared to take every one of you back to the Sheriff's Department to sort this all out once and for all. Y'all understand?" Alan and Dayna nodded. Blue glared at his dad and leaned closer to Gray. Dayna swallowed and spoke up. "We understand, Deputy. But we hope you understand how very difficult this is for us. We're frightened for our son." "I appreciate your difficulty, ma'am. Do you see my dilemma? You two are accusing Mr. Langston of molesting your son. Your son is accusing your husband of abusing him. Y'all have left me with no choice. I HAVE to get to the bottom of both accusations." Alan sneered. "It should be obvious who is telling the truth, Deputy. If you can't see it, I can talk to your boss and he can explain it to you." The deputy had had enough. "Sir, get back in your car. You too, Mrs. Wright. Mr. Langston, Blue, please sit down right there on the porch. I'll have another deputy here in fifteen minutes. We'll interview everyone separately and get this all figured out." *** Inside their car, Dayna and Alan Wright were having a heated discussion. "Are you absolutely certain we're doing the right thing, Alan?" Alan turned to his wife and scowled. "Can't you see how that man has perverted our son? Can't you see how he's encouraged vulgarity and disrespect? We MUST do this for Andrew's well-being!" "I'm not sure about that, Alan. It could be the time Andrew spent on the streets affected him more than we know." "Does it really matter what happened to him on the streets, Dayna. THIS MAN IS MOLESTING HIM NOW! He's twisting our son into some kind of monstrous copy of himself. Turning him into an ABOMINATION BEFORE GOD! We have no choice, Dayna. We have to get Andrew out of here!" Dayna buried her face in her hands and began softly crying. Alan snorted with disgust. "I don't understand you, Dayna. How can you have the least doubt that we're in the right here? Our boy has become a sick and disgusting disgrace!" Dayna looked up, tears streaming down her face. "YOU don't understand ME? Alan, I don't understand how you can be so hateful toward your only son. I don't understand what has happened to make you revile him so. Yes, I don't understand what happened to him in the last three years. I don't understand what he's feeling or why he's behaving this way. I don't understand how he can want to be with a man instead of a woman. I don't understand what is going on between him and Gray Langston, or even if there IS anything going on at all. It could be perfectly innocent. But I'm telling you right now, I want to understand. I want to figure this out, Alan. For Andrew's sake. For mine. And yes, even for yours!" Dayna opened the door, got out, and slammed it shut behind her. Then she walked off to the side, covering her face with her hands and sobbing softly. Gray and Blue were watching from the porch, observing but saying nothing. Gray picked up a stack of pages from the patio table and handed it to Blue. "Deputy Ralston," Gray said, catching the officer's attention. "Blue has something for his mother. It was faxed over by my lawyers this morning. It's paperwork she will be able to use to resolve all this. I'm sure you'd rather we work this out amicably, right?" "Of course," the deputy agreed. Blue carried the papers down the porch steps to his mother. He handed them to her and then took her in his arms, hugging her. She held him at her side as she looked at the papers she held in one shaking hand. Then she seemed to stand a little taller. Her hands stopped shaking and she began reading the papers, studying them carefully. Alan Wright got out of the car and looked over at Dayna and Blue. "What is that?" Alan demanded. Dayna swallowed hard and turned to stare at her husband. "These are divorce papers, Alan. I am thinking very seriously about signing them. No. Never mind. I WILL be signing them. If you know what's good for you, you will sign them too." The color drained from Alan's face. "You ... you can't be serious. You can't do this, Dayna. We ... we were married before God in the presence of the Church. I won't do it! I won't accept it!" "You will, Alan. You've already lost Andrew, and now you're losing me, too." "No, Dayna. It ... it ... it's just not ... Dayna, what GOD HAS JOINED TOGETHER, NO MAN CAN SEPARATE! You KNOW that. You were raised in the Church just like me. You know what God says about divorce!" "Yes, I do, Alan. I know what God says about DIVORCE. Do you know what God says about MERCY?" Alan was stunned speechless, for once. Dayna pulled Blue into her side and faced Alan. "I'm prepared to live the rest of my life single and alone, but I'm not prepared to live another day without showing our son the love he deserves." Alan stammered, "This is absolutely unacceptable. I won't allow you to divorce me. God would never forgive either one of us." Dayna calmly folded the papers. "Well, Alan, I suppose you are right about one thing. Divorce is something we've both been taught is unacceptable. So I won't ask for a divorce or even an annulment, but you will give me a separation. I'll call these lawyers and tell them I've changed my mind. I want a separation instead, and you will agree to that, Alan." "But where will you live? How will you get by?" Alan spluttered. Gray spoke from where he stood on the porch. "She's welcome to live here, until she finds her own place." Dayna nodded. "That's right. Andrew and I will live here, and I'll go back to my career as a nurse. I still have my certification, Alan. I'm sure the hospital here would welcome an experienced ER nurse. I'll do just fine without you, and so will Andrew. You will give me a separation and child support, or I will contact these lawyers and make you wish you'd cooperated." Dayna turned to the sheriff's deputy and said, "We won't be needing your assistance any more today, officer. Thank you for your help." Then she took Blue by the hand and led him up onto the porch, where they both stood next to Gray. Gray stepped in front of them and looked down at Alan Wright. "Mr. Wright, there is obviously no more reason for you to be here. I'd like you to leave now." Alan turned to the deputy sheriff and spat out, "When are you going to do your job? That perverted bastard is molesting my son! I want him in handcuffs, NOW!" The deputy clinched his teeth and slowly approached Alan Wright. "Sir. I'm only going to tell you this one time. Get back in your vehicle and let me handle this." The two stared each other in the eye for several seconds before Alan Wright blinked, then turned and got back in his car. The deputy turned back to Blue and blew out his breath, exasperated, "Blue, I'm very sorry to do this, but I have to ask you: Are you being molested by Mr. Langston?" Blue stepped around Gray and walked boldly to the edge of the porch. He looked the deputy in the eye and said, "No, sir. Because of what that man did--" Blue pointed at his father sitting in the car. "--I was forced to live on the streets for three years. I was beaten, raped, and didn't think I'd live through the night a few times. Because of him." Then Blue turned and put his hand on Gray's shoulder. "Because of what this man did, I escaped that life. He took me in and fed me, protected me, and saved my life. I will never be able to repay him for all he's done for me." Turning back to the deputy, Blue's eyes burned with a fierce anger. "I am so fuckin' sick of hearin' this man accused of hurtin' me and molestin' me when all he's ever done is take care of me. So let me be absolutely clear on this, once and for all ... no, Mr. Langston has never molested me." The deputy nodded his head. "Message received, loud and clear, son." Turning to Dayna, the deputy asked, "Ma'am, did I understand correctly that you are now living here and Andrew is living with you?" "You heard correctly, Deputy." "Then I think we're done here. Unless you want to press charges against your dad for abuse?" Blue glanced at Gray, remembering how often Gray had forgiven him, remembering how Gray refused to hold onto bitterness. Then Blue looked back at the deputy and said, "I just want him to leave us alone and never bother us again." Alan Wright rolled his window down halfway and screamed, "What are you doing? Why isn't he under arrest?" "Sir, no one is going to be arrested today, except maybe for you, if you don't leave now." "Do you know who I am, Deputy? I will have your badge for this!" "Sir, here is my business card. It has my name and badge number on it. It also has the address of the Sheriff's Department. If you have a concern with the way I've handled things today, you can speak to Sheriff Logan or Captain Rossie. They should both be in their offices this morning. If you want to lodge a complaint, you should head that way now, sir. And I do mean ... NOW." Alan glared at the three standing on the porch. "This isn't over!" He started the car and slammed it into gear, tearing up the driveway as he spun out making a sharp u-turn before speeding up the road. "Would you like me to put him under a no trespassing order?" Gray nodded his head. "I think that's a good idea, Deputy Ralston. It will probably just make things nastier, but I don't see any other choice. Thank you." The deputy handed Gray a business card as well. "If you need anything, you can reach me at that number." The deputy climbed into his vehicle and slowly drove away. Gray turned to Dayna and shook her hand. "Finally, we meet." "I wish it was under better circumstances." Gray chuckled. "Nevertheless, I want to welcome to Langston Farm, Mrs. Wright." "Please, call me Dayna." "Okay, Dayna. And you can call me Gray. Blue, why don't you show your mom around. Let her pick one of the bedrooms on the second floor. Dayna, I sincerely mean this when I say: make yourself at home." *** One month later ... Soft knocks on the door woke Blue. He blinked and looked around. "What is it?" he asked, still groggy. From outside the door, he heard, "Breakfast, baby. In 10 minutes." "Okay, Mom. Thanks." Blue turned back over and slid his arm across Gray's chest, pulling himself against his lover's warm body. Gray moaned softly and turned to face Blue, taking him into a loving embrace. "That was your mom?" Gray mumbled. "Yes. She said breakfast is almost ready." "How much time do we have, champ?" "Time for one kiss, and that's it, my dude." "Better make it a good one then," Gray muttered, leaning in to caress Blue's lips with his own. Blue pushed Gray back. "That's enough. Morning breath." "Yours or mine." "Both," Blue replied with a giggle. *** "You make the best waffles, Mom," Blue declared, stuffing in another huge mouthful. "He's right, Dayna. Any chance I can get your recipe?" Gray asked, taking a more civilized bite. Dayna smiled. "No chance. It's an old family secret. I can only pass it down to my eldest child on my deathbed." Blue choked on his waffles, laughing. "I ain't the cook, Mom. Gray is. You better give it to him." Dayna shook her finger at the boy. "No talking with food in your mouth, Andrew. I'm sure I raised you better than that." Blue smiled and stuffed another heaping forkful of waffles into his mouth, mumbling, "Mmmm mmmm good." "Brat!" "I can toss him into the lake for you," Gray offered. "No. Don't want to disturb the ducks," she replied with a grin. "I think the ducks are taking up residence on the far side of the lake," Gray declared. "They don't appreciate the construction on this side." "How much longer will they be at it?" Dayna asked. "The contractor updated me yesterday. They hope to wrap it up in another three weeks. Then you'll have your very own mother-in-law cottage." Dayna chuckled. "I don't feel old enough to call it that. Can we just say it's my little cottage-on-the-lake?" "We'll call it whatever you want, Mom? We can call it Mom's Hideout or Waffle House of the Misunderstood." Gray gasped and choked on his milk. Dayna laughed, slapping Blue on the arm. Gray wiped his mouth with a napkin and said, "You know, Dayna, you're always welcome over here. You don't have to move out of your room on the second floor." Dayna smiled and patted Gray's arm. "I know. But I want my own place, and you boys need your privacy." Gray blushed. Blue giggled and stuffed the last bite of waffles in his mouth. "Another please!" He held up his empty plate. Dayna stood up and walked into the kitchen, where she poured more batter into the waffle iron. "Will you fellows join me for Mass this morning?" Blue shrugged. "Sure, Momma. I'll go." He glanced over at Gray. "I've never been," Gray admitted, "but I'll give it a try." Dayna smiled and closed the lid on the waffle iron. *** They sat side by side in the pew. Dayna on the left. Gray on the right. Blue (she still had trouble calling Andrew by his nickname) sat in the middle, between the two people he loved. Dayna glanced down and saw her son's right hand resting on the pew between him and Gray. Gray's hand was there too, just touching Andrew's. Their pinkie fingers were curled together, holding onto each other in a simple, endearing gesture. She smiled, content to be there with the son she adored and the young man she was beginning to respect and appreciate. The priest was offering a homily based on First Corinthians 13. Dayna listened, but her mind was still on the two young men next to her, pinkies linked in a secretive sign of their affection for one another. A sudden, fleeting thought crossed her mind unbidden: What God has joined together ... Now where had that thought come from, she asked herself? She closed her eyes and offered up a mother's simple prayer of thanksgiving for all God had done to give her back her son and for blessing them all so richly. The priest's voice echoed across the nave, closing the homily with Scripture. "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." The end of MISUNDERSTOOD, Chapter Twenty-Eight