by Jason Banks
“Dad,” Josiah replied quickly. “You can call me Dad if you’d like,” he said, drying his eyes with a handkerchief in his grasp. “I consider Maxwell just like a son, and you are certainly considered no less.”
Josiah stepped over to sit at the edge of the guest bed. Durango turned back around, taking the box with his left hand. “Alright… Dad,” he paused, thinking of how sentimental this was to him, provided that neither of his parents had been gone for many years. “Would you like to do the honors?” he offered, propping up his left arm and passing the cufflinks from his right hand to Josiah.
Mr. Baxter’s face lit up. “Thank you, I shall,” he replied, taking the shimmery gold tokens and affixed them to end both of Durango’s sleeves.
Durango returned to the mirror where his white tuxedo jacket hung freely from the door hook of an adjacent closet. While Durango licked his fingers and ran it through his salt and peppered tresses, Josiah Baxter stood from the bed and retrieved the final piece to Durango’s suit from the hanger. He carefully shoved his arms into their respective holes while pulling the jacket over his shoulders, affixing the buttons. He adjusted his golden bowtie and smiled jovially at his reflection in the mirror.
“Well,” he said, looking back at Mr. Baxter. “Let’s get this show on the road, eh?”
The entirety of his backyard flooded with wedding attendees, as Maxwell peered out the window of his back porch. He glanced up to the skies in awe as hints of violet, reds, and orange clouds hid the falling sun off to west. Marilyn approached him from behind holding her right arm out and hooking into the opening of Max’s left side. To his right, stood Durango, accompanied by Josiah Baxter opposite him.
With the help of a pianist hammering out the beginning chords, music beamed from the loud speakers which perched on each corner of the spacious yard. Ushered by his mom, Maxwell paced slowly down the path in the center of their set-up. He walked past his friends and family invited in from Indiana, Colorado, and several different places. Max smiled as they looked straight ahead at his proud self, about to embark on the new chapter of his life with the man who may as well have saved it for the second time by proxy.
Once he arrived at the front, he looked back in Durango’s direction, who began his walk down the aisle, as the harmonic voice of Calum Scott’s “You Are the Reason” sank below his skin, permeating down his spine. Every goddamn lyric stood out as a symbol of every element of his relationship with Durango. Within moments, his man joined him at the front. They locked their sights on each other’s gaze, as Max shivered with anticipation. It’s finally here.
Under a tall arch riddled by lush vines accented with tiger lilies, stood Rabbi Frankel of their congregation. Their ceremony continued with readings of their union and in the appropriate moment, as previously arranged, Durango was first to read aloud the vows he prepared.
Durango appeared to keep from choking up, but the fact of the matter was, Max knew it would be hard for either of them to not cry while professing their love in front of the several dozen wedding guests.
“Max, I didn’t know what true love was until I met you. For years, I ached. Wondering if the concept of soulmates truly existed. And then last year, the universe provided the validation I’d been searching for after all that time. It brought me you and I knew very soon after we met, I felt this connection which seemed so strong. The morning I learned for the first time just how the stars aligned for us, I knew you were my soulmate. Maxwell, I promise to care for you in sickness and health, trials and tribulations. Into eternity.”
Blowing noses and subtle “awwws” were heard scattered throughout the ample audience as Max pulled out the paper to begin reciting his vows for Durango.
“Durango, when I lost my husband almost a year ago, I thought my life was coming to some sort of dramatic end, slowly and painfully. But then something whispered inside my head that I needed to fight like hell to survive. I knew I needed to move away from Denver and destiny brought me here, where we met on my first trip up. I knew I’d be taking care of a child on a fulltime basis and I needed to ensure she got the best care. Little did I know until Christmastime, I hadn’t lost my first true love, because he’s right there inside you. And while I realize his soul is far gone from this realm, his lifeforce has brought us together and given me another gift—a man who is gentle, kind, smart, and sometimes stubborn,” Max had to pause, wiping away the tears of joy from his eyes.
He glanced out into the crowd and for the briefest of moments, spotted a shining light illuminate in the back row. The figure appeared to look exactly like Brogan Baxter. Out of disbelief, he dabbed at his eyes again to catch a clearer glimpse, while the crowd hushed and glanced around in the same direction. But whatever, or whoever, was there—disappeared in another quick flash. Maxwell shook his head and turned his attention back to his vows.
“and helped me grow into a stronger, better man. I’m so grateful to have you and Gage as part of a complete family, and I am honored to take this next step in my journey with you by my side. I promise to be every part of the man you need me to be—to keep that healthy heart beating strong into eternity.”
Upon finishing his vows, Rabbi Frankel continued the ceremony by commencing the Sheva Brachot—or seven blessings. Accompanying this should have been two glasses of wine, but taking Maxwell’s sobriety into consideration, they were filled with grape juice instead. During this short time, the two grooms held each other hand-in-hand looking intently and passionately into one another’s stare. When the reading was complete, Yael nudged Gage up to the front to present a satin bag which contained a single blue glass.
As they finished the ritual of drinking from the symbolic wine goblets, Maxwell took Durango’s hand once again as they both faced the crowd. They lifted their legs closest to one another in unison, and with the assurance of their strong bond, their feet trampled the glass.
While the crowd of people began clapping and cheering, Rabbi Frankel raised his hands in a display of joy. “Mazel tov!” he shouted.
Maxwell turned his head as Durango leaned in closer. “That’s the last thing you get to break on purpose, mister,” he whispered with a wink.
Although he and Maxwell enjoyed their honeymoon, Durango was satisfied to be back home where his quaint family of four could all be together. This was the first time in his life he’d personally seen such sights as the great Colosseum in Rome and tasting genuine Italian food prepared at the source. The memory of sitting alongside Maxwell as they float unwaveringly in a gondola down the canals of Venice, will also stick with him for the rest of his life. Apart from Italy, the newlyweds visited such places even Max hadn’t been afforded the time on any of his busy fashion trips—like sitting hillside in Austria with a picnic lunch. However, nothing could top the sentiments of being with his family. And nothing made Durango happier.
While the two lovebirds traveled abroad, he sent Gage on a journey with John down to the rocky plateaus of Utah and Western Colorado where he could expand his interests in the vast field of paleontology and dinosaurs. Whereas, Maxwell flew Lily back home to Hamilton County, Indiana, with Marilyn. Last but not least, the Williams-Walters dwelling was purged of all Melanie’s belongings. Since Durango and Gage moved in just before the wedding, he signed over his humble abode to Max’s twin sister so that she could have her own place with privacy and some peace and quiet.
But in the current moment, Durango was just about to wrap up a busy week in his office as he walked his last client of the day and her mother out the door with a friendly wave. He flipped off the lights inside his office building before stepping out to the curb, blinded by the blaze of a hot sun in June. There, he was met with the warmth of Maxwell’s alluring stare as he climbed into the passenger seat. Gage and Lily sat buckled in the backseat occupying themselves by a puzzle book and the backseat movie: ‘Despicable Me 2.’
Maxwell reached his right arm around Durango’s body, planting a tender kiss on his forehead. “Busy day?”
“Yep,” Durango replied, brushing his hand across Maxwell’s cheek. “The busiest week in a while.”
With all the new changes occurring in his life, Durango decided it was an appropriate time to slow things down. As Maxwell’s Porsche Cayenne turned out onto the sideroad by Durango’s office building, he glanced back in the side mirror at the last part of his old life being left behind.
“Happy retirement, babe,” Maxwell said, snapping his fingers.
This was Lily’s cue to retrieve a large mason jar from her legs which is precisely what she was covering with the puzzle book. She leaned forward as best she could, holding the jar with both hands as Durango reached back to grab the vessel.
“Is this?” Durango asked, full well knowing the answer was already—knowing the answer was already—yes.
Max tilted his head, making eye contact with Durango. “Yep, I thought it was important to show our many thanks to the man who helped make today possible.”
“Yeah?” Durango replied, scratching the back of his head while looking down into the jar of ashes which belonged to Brogan Baxter. In this fleeting moment, he glanced forward at the screen on the dash of the car which displayed the date.
JUNE 9th, 2018
As soon as Durango saw the display, he recalled it was exactly one year ago when he was given the gift of life. The day when Maxwell and Lily were saying goodbye to a devoted husband and father, his own existence was spared. He remembered Maxwell talk about how they cremated him, and how Max couldn’t find an appropriate urn among the exhaustive options—all of which didn’t match Brogan’s personality or interests. That being said, Lily came up with the idea of a big cookie jar. On the side, it was painted with three words in Hebrew: Husband, Father, Doctor.
“Oh honey,” Durango stated. “It didn’t even occur to me until just now, I’ve been so busy up until today getting things situated for my retirement.”
“That’s not your fault, I understand,” Max assured, pulling the car into a turn lane which connected to a major express-way. “So, I thought we’d take a ferry ride across Puget Sound, spreading Brogan’s ashes while we all say a word of thanks. Then we can grab dinner, go see a movie or whatever you want to do to celebrate your retirement,” he finished, grabbing Durango’s grip to rub his thumb over the backside of his hand.
Durango took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “I couldn’t think of any better way to spend this evening.”
***
Aboard a large platform, Maxwell held Lily and Gage’s hand while the four of them approached the railing at the end of the ferry boat. Durango was in tow with the large jar of Brogan’s cremains. The kids positioned themselves safely by the feet of their parent, while the two lovers held the basin together, and unscrewed the tightened lid.
“You go first, babe,” Max offered, thinking it was most appropriate that he should be first to toss a handful of the dark ash into the rippling Seattle waters.
Durango obliged. “Alright,” he replied, reaching into the jar and grabbed a generous portion. He stepped to the railing, held out his hand, closed his eyes and stood in silence trying to muster the words he wished to say. “Brogan, thank you for giving me life. Thank you for bringing a wonderful man into my life, who I promise to take care of in your place. I will never take these gifts for granted, as long as I live,” Durango finished, while feeling the gusty wind scatter each grain into the air.
“That was lovely,” Max acknowledged, handing Durango the jar. He knelt down to hoist Lily securely while she reached in and grabbed a small amount. Max stepped into the spot Durango stood in with Lily’s arm over the edge.
“Your turn honey bun.”
Lily looked into the open palm of her hand while the wisps of air fervidly sent the remnants of her biological daddy’s life into the bay waters. “I miss you and I love you, Daddy B.”
“There ya go, ‘Lil,” Durango clapped, holding out the jar for Maxwell’s turn.
As Max reached in, he saw another quick flash of light off to the other side of the ferry boat. Much like at the wedding, he didn’t see anything less than what may have just been an orb bouncing off the sun’s glare. He held his hand out as he advanced to the same platform, closed his eyes, as he felt sensations tingle down his spine. Max swore Durango stood behind him, rubbing his backside. However, his newlywed husband was a few feet away.
“You’re the light in my deepest darkest hour, you’re my savior when I fall. And you may not think I care for you, when you know down inside that I really do…”
Maxwell reopened his eyes as he stepped back, allowing the tiny morsels of his old life wash away into the waters of his new one. “Come on sweetie,” he waved Lily over, to raise her back up with his grasp.
“You ready, kiddo?” Durango looked down to Gage.
He grabbed his son’s hand while joining Max and Lily at the end of the platform against the railing. Together, Max, Lily and Durango finished escorting the remaining bits inside the jar. The four of them witnessed the river of ash pour into the cold waves, while the ferry boat inched them across the shore. The light breeze blew each bristle of their hairs, hushing their hearts while providing them with a sense of joy and pure harmony.
The following bio is actually just a total crock of codswallop, since most everyone knows it’s for a pen name anyway. But, here goes… Jason Banks is an emerging Gay Romance Author, born in the UK and shipped off in the sort of fashion as a common American military brat as an infant. With a German-American Father and a British Mother, Jason has been known to refer to himself as the human equivalent of a canine mutt. Much thanks to his upbringing within the deep cornfield suburbs of Indianapolis, Jason’s been exposed to a plethora of various experiences and friends spanning from the Midwest to the East coast. He enjoys reading many other Authors in the same genre of M/M Romance (including most sub-genres) but also fancies outside the sultry box a time or two with a Mystery/Thriller or Suspense novel. Currently, Jason can be found roaming all over Colorado and Utah. His bearish features match that of his teddy bear personality and if you haven’t spotted him with a fork in his mouth, you’ve probably met the wrong bloke. Ashes to Ashes is his official comeback novel and looks forward to his next book within late winter to spring of 2019. He’s always up for meeting a new friend, so find him on Facebook at: http://facebook.com/authorjasonbanks