"Ray, Ray, Ray!"

"What, Fraser?"

"Your phone is ringing."

"Answering machine's on. I don't wanna get up."

Ray indeed had no desire to rise from the warmth of his bed and his lover's arms. It was too soon. Ray preferred to savor the afterglow of their lovemaking. It was never just sex with Fraser. It was always love. In the way their lips met and their tongues caressed. In the arousing sucks and nibbles Fraser used on his nipples. In the way Fraser would caress his shaft with that curious tongue of his before taking Ray fully in that warm and thrilling mouth. Ray had never known such tenderness or gentle loving before Fraser.

"Ray. It's ten at night. The call may be important."

"No, Frase. It's probably some damned telemarketer trying to get me to switch phone companies."

"Ray...answer the telephone."

Ray groaned as he eased away from Fraser's naked warmth. He had also never known such a meticulously annoying person. Not even bothering to put on clothing, Ray padded barefoot to the telephone. "Kowalski" he almost shouted.

"Son" came the voice of his dad, "Your mother's had an accident. She's in the emergency room at County General."

"On my way, Dad. Uh, is she hurt bad?" Fraser was temporarily forgotten as Ray's mind reeled.

"I don't know, Son. She fell down a flight of stairs. She's not young anymore, ya know." Ray could hear the waiver in his father's voice.

"You just sit tight there, Dad. I'll be right over. I'm not that far from County."

Returning quickly to the bedroom he jerked the covers off of his lover. "C'mon, Frase, we gotta go."

Fraser could see that Ray was upset. "Go? Go where, Ray? What's wrong?"

"It's my mom. That was my dad on the phone. She's had an accident and he don't know how bad she may be hurt and...." Ray stopped, unable to continue.

Rising quickly from the bed, Fraser took Ray into his arms. "Your mother is a strong woman, Ray."

"I know, Frase, but ...she's my mom" and Ray let himself go and cried against his lover's shoulder.

"Dress quickly, Ray" Fraser said as Ray's tears subsided. "And wash your face. It will do your mother no good to see that you have been crying."

The drive to County General Hospital was a quiet one. Fraser drove, not sure that Ray was capable of driving carefully just now. Fraser eased the GTO into a parking slot. He enjoyed driving the GTO more than he had driving Ray Vecchio's Riviera. Oh, the Riv was a fine vehicle, but the GTO was smaller and handled easier. Although Fraser knew that if he ever bought a car of his own, it would be a 1965 Ford Mustang. He had developed quite a liking for one that he had seen at a classic car show that he and Ray had attended the week before with Ray's parents.

Damian Kowalski was waiting at the entrance to the E.R. as they entered, walking in perfect synch, as always. Ray and his dad looked at each other for a mere span of seconds before embracing each other, father and son. Both were crying.

"Mr. Kowalski?" came the cool, calm voice of reason from Fraser, "How is she?"

Damian quickly regained his composure. "She's a lot better than I thought at first. The doctor said she broke her leg and arm in the fall. They're puttin' casts on her now. I think they'll keep her overnight, just to be sure."

"Ah, well then, that's good news. Isn't it, Ray?"

Ray looked at his father, then at his lover. "Yeah, Frase, that's real good news."

Slowly, Ray started to relax, the lines of worry on his face softening. Fraser longed to hold him, but Ray's father was unaware of their relationship. And since Ray had been estranged from his parents for several years, Fraser would do nothing that would harm the tenuous bond that was forming between father and son. It had been enough of a shock to him to find that Ray had told his mother about their love for each other. The three men sat down to wait for the doctors.

Moments? (hours? days ?) later, a doctor finally appeared. The tall black man introduced himself. "Hello, I'm Dr. Benton. Mr. Kowalski, your wife is doing fine. She'll be released in the morning. She will need someone to help her out for a while. She's going to be limited in what she can do until her bones have mended. We did a bone density test for possible osteoporosis and have determined that, for Mrs. Kowalski, it is not a problem at this time."

As the Kowalski men seemed unable to respond, Fraser took the initiative. "Thank you very kindly, Doctor. This is most reassuring. May I inquire just what kind of assistance Mrs. Kowalski will need?"

Sensing that the tall, dark haired man was the only one of the three capable of making any clear decisions at the moment, Peter Benton broke all hospital policy and spoke directly to a non-family member. "She'll be mostly bed-ridden for a while. She won't be able to do any of the things she would normally do. With both leg and arm in a cast, she won't be able to move around. Someone will have to carry her. She'll need sponge baths. She'll need help to ... well, do other things in the bathroom. She's going to be pretty much dependent on someone for at least six to eight weeks."

"Ah, I understand. Thank you kindly. I think that arrangements can be made." Fraser shook the doctor's hand and turned to the Kowalskis. "Mr. Kowalski, perhaps you and Mrs. Kowalski should stay at Ray's apartment for a while. It will be easier for the three of us to care for her there."

Ray raised an eyebrow at Fraser in stunned surprise. "The three of us?"

"Well, yes, Ray" Fraser replied passing his thumb across his eyebrow. "Your parents can sleep in the bedroom, you on the couch. I can use my bedroll on the floor. You're a fair cook when you set your mind to it. I can assume cleaning and laundry duty. Someone will have to carry your mother around, and I am possibly the strongest. Your father can help her with the, uh, more personal needs."

Damian Kowalski took Fraser's hand in gratitude. "Thanks, Ben. I know that Barbara will appreciate yer offer to help."

Ray and his dad followed Dr. Benton to the quiet room where Barbara Kowalski would spend the night. Ray stopped only long enough to assure himself that she would be ok and plant a gentle kiss on her forehead. She stirred slightly at the touch, but didn't open her eyes.

"She's on some pretty strong pain medication right now" said Dr. Benton. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have other patients." The doctor turned and headed back to the emergency room. He had seen many gay couples in his years at County General, and he knew that this patient would be well loved and cared for.

Ray was sufficiently in control of himself to drive back to the apartment. Again, the drive was quiet. But once inside the apartment, Ray's frayed nerves took over and he lashed out at Fraser. "What the hell were you thinkin'? Tellin' my dad that we would all take care of Mom. Jesus Christ, Frase, he don't know about us!"

"Ray, I think that we can manage this without your father being any the wiser. We won't hold hands or anything like that in his presence. We are both adult enough to be circumspect."

"Circum whatever, Fraser! I don't think it's a good idea!"

Fraser patiently allowed Ray to release his worry over his mother in the form of angry words. This was not the first time, nor would it be the last, that Ray's explosive temper had been aimed at Fraser. Ray nervously paced the small living room of the apartment, hands gesticulating wildly in the air with every word. Until, his anger finally exhausted, he slumped onto the couch.

Fraser sat beside Ray, taking him gently in his arms. "Ray, your mother is going to need help. And your father will not be able to provide all of the necessary care. You start on the night shift again in a couple of days, anyway. You will be here during the day, I will be here at night. We can provide almost constant twenty-four hour assistance to your parents the first couple of weeks."

Ray grimaced as he accepted Fraser's cool logic. "Yeah," he replied. "Yer right, I know ya are. It's just, well, I know my parents gotta stay here. I want them to. But six to eight weeks is a long time And I know they have to use the bedroom. But me on the couch and you in yer bedroll?"

"Shh, Ray. You don't really have to sleep on the couch. We'll just make it look like you do. My bedroll is large enough for two."

"Yeah? How do I know that?"

"Well, Ray, perhaps a demonstration might be in order."

Fraser rose from the couch and strolled gracefully into the bedroom to retrieve his bedroll from the closet. Walking back to the living room, he made a mental note to change the sheets before Ray's parents arrived. They moved the small coffee table, and Ray helped Fraser spread the bedroll on the floor near the couch. That accomplished, Fraser reached out and gently traced his thumb across one of Ray's cheeks.

Ray melted against Fraser's body. His arms slid around Fraser's neck as Fraser's arms encircled his waist. The two leaned toward each other and into a sweet and gentle kiss. Fraser lovingly kissed Ray's temples, his eyes, the tip of his nose before surrendering again to the sweet wetness of Ray's mouth. His tongue slid over Ray's and he explored a mouth that he now knew as well as he knew his own.

"How do want me to make love to you, Ray? What can I do to give you pleasure?" He repeated the words he had spoken the first time they had made love. "Tell me, Ray, tell me."

. . . . . . . . . .

It was noon the next day before they were able to bring Ray's mother home from the hospital. Fraser carried her up to Ray's apartment and placed her very carefully on the couch. Ray brought up the small bags they had packed at the trailer park earlier, and his dad was on his way to the drug store to pick up the medicine prescribed by the doctor for her pain.

"Thank you, Ben, for everything" she said as Fraser helped her to find a semi-comfortable position. "I know it must be difficult for you, giving up your privacy with my Stanley."

Fraser felt a deep stirring in his heart for this woman. This woman had accepted their relationship, had given them her blessing. This woman, no - this lady, had no looks or words of condemnation. She had accepted him, embraced him, welcomed him. He blushed slightly. He was grateful for her acceptance of his and Ray's love for each other. But he sincerely hoped that she had no idea just how that love was expressed, of the ways that he and Ray ... oh, dear.

"Your health and recovery are the most important thing now, Mrs. Kowalski. Ray and I, well, we'll manage."

"Then you'll have to take very good care of me, won't you? So that I have a very speedy recovery" she replied, with just a slight smile. "And, Ben, it would please me if you called me Barbara, or Mom."

"Thank you, ... Mom," he replied. "I would be honored."

. . . . . . . . . .

The next week saw them develop a quiet routine. Ray was working nights, usually home by 2 or 3 am and they would sleep together in Fraser's bedroll for the few precious hours they had.

Fraser, always an early riser, started coffee, fixed breakfast and carried his new 'mom' into the small bathroom where Ray's dad helped her prepare herself for the coming day. Then Fraser would settle her on the couch and Ray would drift to the bedroom for a couple more hours of sleep.

The three Kowalskis spent their days catching up on the years they had lost. While Mrs. Kowalski napped, father and son did what shopping needed to be done or worked on the GTO. Ray had supper ready every evening when Fraser returned from work. Mom only allowed take-out on the nights there was a basketball or football game on television.

After the first week, her pain started to subside and was replaced by itching. The three men tried everything they could think of to help with the terrible itching, but it was Fraser who provided the solution by teaching her the Inuit form of meditation.

The second week of her confinement Ray went from night shift to graveyard. He was home with his family now in the evenings, but he and Fraser had no time for intimacy. They had only the few moments between the time Ray got home in the morning and when his parents woke. Precious moments of gentle touches and soft kisses.

The third week, Ray was back on the day watch. His mom was doing well enough that his dad was able to take care of her by himself during the day.

The weeks passed quickly. Mrs. Kowalski kept hoping that her son would find a way to tell her husband about his relationship with Fraser, but he seemed reluctant to do so. That being his decision, she said nothing.

. . . . . . . . . .

The smell of freshly brewing coffee woke Damian Kowalski early. His wife had a doctor's appointment today and he was hoping that the casts could come off. They were both ready to return to their small trailer. He felt like they were imposing on Stanley. And Ben had given up enough of his own time to stay and help. He could hear quiet voices in the living room, indicating that Stanley and Ben were both awake. Rising from the bed as easily as possible, so as not to disturb his wife, he opened the bedroom door. He had not expected the sight that greeted his eyes.

His son and the Canadian were hugging each other. Well, no, actually they were embracing. And kissing. Kissing like it was something they did a lot, lips touching .. parting .. touching again.

He quickly and quietly closed the door and sat down on the edge of the bed. He didn't know what to think. This had to mean that his son, his Stanley, was ... that his son was ... he couldn't form the word in his mind. He leaned over and put his face in his hands. Stanley and Ben? And all this time he had never known, never suspected..

"What is it Damian? What's wrong?" came the voice of his wife.

"Barbara, I ... oh, it's nothing."

Now, this woman had not been married to this man all these years without knowing when 'nothing' was a definite 'something'.

"Damian. Tell me what's wrong."

He turned to look at her, knowing full well that he had never been able to keep anything from her.

"Barbara, I don't know how to tell ya this. I opened the door and saw Stanley and Ben. Well, they were ... they were kissing. Really kissing."

"Oh, my" came the response. "Damian dear. I was hoping that you would learn about this another way."

"You knew? You knew about this?" The volume of his voice was rising.

"Shh! Lower your voice, Damien. For goodness sake, you don't want them to hear you shouting. Now you just listen to me. Yes, I knew. I've known for quite a while. I figured it out and Stanley and I had the nicest talk about it. And I've talked to Ben, too. And it's nothing that disturbs me. Ben is such a nice young man. Just look at how much help he has been to us, to me. And, don't you say a word" she said as he opened his mouth to speak. "As I was saying, Ben is a nice young man. I enjoy all of the times we have been with him and Stanley: the picnics, the car shows. And I know that you enjoy going to the Bulls games with them. So don't for one minute try to tell me that you really have anything against that boy."

Damian looked at his wife in disbelief. Then he said softly, "But, Barbara, this means that our son is . . ."

"Gay, Damian. The word is gay. And I'm not sure that I understand an awful lot about that, but I do know that those two are deeply in love. And there's nothing at all wrong with it. Why, you remember Larry and Arthur in Arizona. They were wonderful young men. And they did a lot for us. And you didn't seem to mind that they are gay."

Damian Kowalski looked at his wife. Tiny and frail she might look, but he knew that when it came to their son, she was like a mountain cat defending her cub. He had felt the sting of her claws more than once when they were raising the boy. And right at this moment, arm and leg in casts, hair disheveled, she was almost beautiful again. There was color in her cheeks and her eyes were burning brightly.

"That's different," he said.

"How so? How is it different? Because they were just neighbors and friends and this is our son? Will you love him any less?"

Taking a deep breath he said, "Ok, mother of my son. You made yer point. It'll take a little gettin' used to, but yer right. You always are." He leaned down and kissed her softly on the cheek. "I did a good thing when I married you." Then he stood and pulled his shoulders back. In a voice that was over loud he said, "I think Ben has the coffee ready, Mother. Would you like me to bring you a cup?" and waited several seconds before opening the door again.