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that occurred a few weeks after his confession to Nicole. The day he realized there would be no wedding day for him.
    Raymond smiled to himself, and his eyes became moist as he reviewed the melancholy milestones of his life. And then a tear escaped from his left eye and rolled down his cheek. He felt overcome with emotion from the gift his mother had given him. He wanted to call her and thank her and share some of the moments she’d left out simply because he hadn’t shared them with her before. But Raymond didn’t pick up the phone, only inches away. He wanted to share this moment with Trent, and yet a part of him relished being able to review his life in solitude. It was a special feeling, a special moment.And even though the house was still silent, he could hear Trent’s voice after the first time they made love in their new home, quiet like now. Trent had whispered in his lover’s ear,
“Some of the best moments in life are when we don’t have a clue of what to say or do.”
    Later that evening, Raymond got a call from Trent saying he was working late and asked if he wanted him to stop and pick up something to eat.
    “Naw, that’s okay. I’m not that hungry,” Raymond said softly.
    “Are you all right?”
    “I’m fine. Just enjoying the evening and life,” Raymond said.
    “What was in the package?” Trent asked.
    “A really special gift from my mother. It’s hard to describe it, but I’ll show it to you after I’ve enjoyed it,” Raymond said.
    “Okay. I’ll see you later on.”
    “Trent?”
    “Yes, Raymond?”
    “Thanks for being such a gift to me,” Raymond said.
    “What a nice thing to say. Are you sure everything is okay?”
    “Never been more certain,” Raymond said.
    After hanging up, Raymond picked up the phone and called Jared. Nicole answered the phone. He still loved the sound of her voice.
    “Nicole, how you doing?”
    “Raymond? Of course it’s Raymond. I’m doing fine, sweetheart. Is everything okay?” Raymond was thinking people close to him didn’t understand the sweet sadness he was enjoying. But how could they?
    “I’m doing just great. I know you’re happy to be back in the Big Apple,” Raymond said.
    “I sure am. Matter of fact, I’m on my way out the door. Going to a party one of the members of the cast is giving. Want to speak to your boy?”
    “Is he there?”
    “Sure, let me get him. It’s nice talking to you, Raymond. I hope we’ll see you and Trent real soon,” Nicole said.
    “Same here. It’s always nice hearing your voice,” Raymond said.
    After a few seconds Jared came on the phone.
    “Whassup, whassup, my niggah?”
    “You, my brother. How is everything?”
    “Everything’s cool, couldn’t be cooler if I was sitting in a tub of ice,” Jared joked.
    “You sound happy.”
    “Why wouldn’t I be? Life is sweet.”
    “I’m not keeping you from nuthing, am I?”
    “You know I always got time for you. Besides, Nicole’s gone to her party and I’m getting ready to look over some work and hit the sack,” Jared said.
    Raymond and Jared spent the next hour talking like they hadn’t talked for months. In reality they spoke briefly at least once a week, sometimes two or three times.
    Raymond, knowing Jared was really a small-city type of guy, asked him how he was dealing with New York. When Jared said he was loving it, Raymond teased him about how he used to say he could never see himself living in New York.
    Jared asked how things were going with Trent and the confirmation and if he had any dates for the hearings.
    “You know, I know people in D.C., so when you go down there for the hearing, I want to be in the front row. In case any of them congressmen wanna act stupid. I got yo’ back,” Jared said.
    “And you know it,” Raymond said.
    “Are you sure you’re all right?” Jared asked as the conversation neared an end. Before answering the question, Raymond told Jared about the gift his mother had sent and how it had got him to