Written in the Stars, Chapter 3
Jackie arrived shortly after 11:00 the next morning. Sean was with her because he said he had to make sure his brother was okay. Besides, he didn't mind having a day off from school, and his mom had let him drive part of the way. Unlike some boys his age these days, driving was a rite of passage for him.
When mother and younger son arrived, they found Troy feeding Toryn part of his lunch. It wasn't that he couldn't have fed himself, but he needed coaxing to eat the mostly liquid diet. Troy was making a game of it like a parent might do with a reluctant toddler. It was evident to Jackie that this young man cared a great deal about her son. She didn't know if it was a bromance or something more, but there was definitely a bond between them. She would be careful not to tease or judge them. Her son was an adult and should be able to make his own decisions about relationships without parental involvement.
The scene playing out before them made Sean all the more certain that he had been correct. Troy obviously had a crush on his brother and it appeared to be a mutual thing.
After he'd eaten, Toryn insisted that Troy should go down to the cafeteria and get his lunch. Sean was starving by then, and asked if he could go along. Jackie told them to go eat while she kept her firstborn company.
"You guys are good together," Sean said as they were eating their lunch. "Are you, like, partners?"
"Your brother, Tommy, and I aren't officially in a partnership, but we do play in the trio together. We all share equally, but I guess I'm kind of the leader since I got it going."
"Oh, yeah, I suppose that's the case. Toryn said you guys were like brothers."
Sean wasn't certain if Troy had misunderstood how he meant the word "partners," or if he was avoiding the issue. He wasn't sure how to proceed to let Troy know he'd be okay with their being boyfriends, so he decided not to pursue the subject. Instead, he got Troy talking about the classes he was taking currently.
When they got back to Toryn's room, Pastor Glenn was there paying a visit. Troy was pleased to see him. Jackie seemed to be also. The cleric obviously cared about people on his staff – even, or maybe especially, the young ones who played in the contemporary service.
He asked if he might say a prayer of healing for Toryn. Everyone was in favor.
After he left, Jackie again thanked Troy for getting her son involved in church.
"Wow, I'm feeling better and I'm ready to go home!" Toryn exclaimed after the doctor had visited in the afternoon and said he could be discharged the following morning. "That laparoscopic surgery didn't leave much of an incision to heal up."
"Sean and I brought a change of clothes so we could stay overnight," Jackie said. "We'll be happy to take you home with us tomorrow to recuperate."
"Um, when I said `home,' I meant going back to the apartment," Toryn replied. "I guess I didn't phrase it well. I'm not looking forward to taking a two-hour ride just yet. Besides, I really need to stay here and get back to normal as quickly as possible. You two can go home this afternoon and not spend the money on a motel. I know Dad will be there tonight. I'm an adult, so I can sign myself out. Lucky Troy can be my parttime nurse."
"I'll make sure he gets fed, and I can bring him back to the hospital in a minute if he has a relapse," Troy insisted. "I'll treat him like a naughty child if he disobeys."
"He can be bull-headed. I should have brought along a paddle for you to use if he gets out of line. Perhaps they'd have one in the gift shop," Jackie teased.
In Sean's hormone-stimulated mind, he could envision Troy swatting his brother's bare bottom with a Ping-Pong paddle. His smile was fueled by more than the humor of his mother's comment.
Toryn was delighted to be eating lunch at home on Saturday. Troy had stopped at the grocery store to purchase a couple of salads to go along with the sandwiches he was putting together. Toryn felt like royalty as Troy waited on him hand and foot. He might have teased Troy about mothering him, but he really appreciated it. Being away from the antiseptic aura of the hospital made him relax as well. He took a nap right after eating.
The sound of Troy's phone woke him up an hour later. Pastor Glenn was on the line asking Troy if there was any way he could bring his keyboard and play at the 5:00 o'clock service. The kid who was supposed to fill in had called in sick a few minutes ago. Toryn came into the living room in time to overhear most of the conversation.
"I'm not sure if I should leave Toryn by himself, and Tommy isn't coming back until tomorrow night," Troy was saying.
"We can both go," Toryn insisted. "You can use the percussion function on your keyboard and I can accompany you. If they're doing hymns we know, we can pull this off."
Glenn said they could select a few favorite ones they'd done earlier in the term and he would have the media crew project the words on the screen. He wasn't sure that Toryn should participate, but he would go with whatever the guys decided.
Although it would have been better with a live drummer, the two-thirds of the trio did a great job on the music. When the service ended, Pastor Glenn told the congregation that Toryn had undergone surgery less than 48 hours before but had insisted he could be there. Everyone stood and applauded. Toryn blushed, but he felt like a hero. The love he received helped to ease the fatigue he felt. Tory insisted on taking him out for dinner afterward if he was up to it. A couple of older parishioners stuffed money in his hand to cover their meal.
Toryn stayed awake a bit longer than usual after the lights were out. He pondered several things; first, his good fortune in having met Troy and second, how close they were becoming. Were they destined to become more than housemates? Interestingly, Troy was still awake too, having similar thoughts.
Thanksgiving break meant going home to be with their families. They were looking forward to it with mixed emotions. In the few months they'd lived together, they had begun to feel like they were family. Being apart would seem strange. That was especially true for Toryn after the way Troy had watched over him during his recovery from surgery. Troy was still making sure Toryn didn't overdo and get too tired.
He suggested that they could ride home together in his SUV. He would be happy to drop Toryn off and drive the few miles back to his home. Toryn felt he was up to doing about anything he wanted, including driving those couple of hours. However, he gave in when he saw how much Troy wanted to do it for him. He'd never received this kind of caring from anyone outside of his extended family. He truly appreciated it.
Since both guys had cell phones and were used to texting, they stayed in contact with each other many times while they were apart. Sean took notice of how often Toryn checked his phone and grinned at whatever he read or saw. The two college boys exchanged pictures of their holiday fare as well as short vids of siblings or pets. This sometimes lasted after they'd gone to their rooms to sleep. Sean was even more certain that he was right about their developing relationship.
The guys returned to their apartment on Saturday because they'd agreed to play for the afternoon service at First Presbyterian. Tommy had said he had a surprise for them when they would rehearse. He hoped they'd be in favor of what he had in mind.
His surprise was that he would like to add brass to their little ensemble. He suggested they could bill their group and Trifecta Plus or Trifecta Plus One, if the others agreed.
When Tommy came to the apartment to go over the music, he brought with him an exotic looking young lady who appeared to have a mixture of African and Asian ancestry. She was truly beautiful, and it was evident that Tommy was smitten.
Tanya Hakimi was a girl Tommy had known in high school. At the time, she was going steady with a star basketball player, and Tommy had known he didn't stand a chance of getting close to her. Her former beau dropped her when they headed to different colleges, and Tommy had reconnected with her at his home church over Thanksgiving. She was attending Drake in Des Moines, so they weren't a great distance apart. She was thinking of transferring to Iowa State. His colleagues could tell that he was definitely moonstruck.
Not only was Tanya attractive; she was a music major, and an accomplished musician. After playing through the first hymn, the guys had no doubt that she'd be a welcome addition anytime she wanted to join them.
"Wow! Troy exclaimed before the last note had faded away. "We might do well to become a quartet. I've already been thinking of billing us as Tetra. Having a first name beginning with "T" makes it perfect! I think Sam might up our wages a little more for an extra musician at the club, and you'd likely increase the tips. I'm not sure if the church has the budget to pay more, but we would share with you."
"Oh, guys, if you're serious, I'd really love to play with you. I'd do it for the experience. You wouldn't have to share or split the tips," she said.
"Yes, we would." Troy insisted. "I'll bet the tips would double with a pretty girl like you as part of the group."
After they'd run through the church music, they worked on what they'd planned to perform at Berkley Square that evening. Everyone was thrilled with what the addition of brass did for their numbers. Tanya could really wail on that trumpet when the guys asked her to improvise.
To say that the young lady was a hit in the church service would be the understatement of the month. Pastor Glenn was very happy. In fact, he said that he would leave an offering plate in the foyer if anyone would like to leave a little something for their additional musician. The sum turned out to be nearly $30 all in small bills and change.
Tanya was equally well received at the jazz club. As Troy had predicted, the tip box was fuller than usual. It looked like the size and the name of the ensemble would likely be changing.
Back at the apartment, Toryn and Troy discussed the success of their two gigs. Neither of them felt like their own income had diminished with the enlarging of the group. It might not always be so, but it was also possible that they might add a few more bookings because of Tanya.
They also discussed taking a course during J-term. Instead of being home for over a month between semesters, they might as well get a few additional credits. After all, they had to pay rent whether they were in the apartment or away on vacation. If they were in Ames all of January, they could still play for church and probably once at the club. Sam tended to close it a couple of weeks in the middle of winter to go south for warmer weather. Still, there might be a gig or two.
Toryn certainly didn't need the extra income all that badly. However, he would be happier not to be separated from his housemate for the extended period. It seemed to him that Troy felt the same.
Obviously, music was more of an avocation for everyone but Tanya. Course work went on with term papers, tests, and projects. The boys continued to do well. Despite his emergency surgery, Toryn hadn't missed a beat. It was due in part to his good physical condition, but he sensed that being cared for by his housemate had made a difference too. He often wondered what his fate might have been had he not had a companion through it all. It was more than the fact that Troy had pushed him to seek medical treatment immediately, it was all the little things he'd done to ease the road.
Finally, in the middle of December, final exams were upon them. Yes, they did some lastminute study. However, they had kept up diligently throughout the term, and so it wasn't necessary to pull any all-nighters. Having adequate sleep ensured that they'd do their best.
When exams were finished, they didn't rush off to be with their families. They still had a Saturday of performances to do before the holidays.
Sunday, they all departed for home. Because of J-term, their Christmas break would be shorter than last year's. They would return after January 1st to a time of intense study, but it would give them several extra credits and they'd get to participate in a pilot program.
Author's notes:
Thanks for reading this story. If you enjoyed it, please feel free to contact me a dlee169@hotmail.com and let me know. Your emails are the only reward I receive for writing. Please put the story title in the subject line in case your email goes into the spam folder. I heard from the following this week: Ott H, Tony C, Paul F, Brian T, Ken McC, Steve G, Bob D, Rick S, Stan, Charles G, Allen S, Geoff (1), Tim T, Gordon, JL F, Bill T, Frank K, John L, Mendy D, James B, Peter S, and Paul R. Thanks, one and all for your encouragement. Thanks to David S for editing. He finds typos and missing words! He also makes valuable suggestions.
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Thanks, David
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