With These Rings by Terry O’Reilly
I remember that, when I read One Night in December, I liked it a lot but I did wonder if it was really possible such pink glasses perspective. I also remember a very polite email from the author, Terry O’Reilly, explaining how the plot was not so far from his own personal experience, and so proving me that, yes, sometime dreams come true.
Andy was not gay; David was officially a straight widower, unofficially a married gay man in the closet, and basically without sex at all since the death of his beloved wife. David really loved his wife, but he has also always had sexual desires for other men, even when he was married, and now that he is a more than 40 years old widower, he fell in love for another man, Andrew. Andy is not replacing his wife, their relationship is completely different, as it’s completely different the life they are sharing: in the end, passing the middle of his life (Dante said 35 years old is the middle of one path’s life), David changed it completely.
In a way the same happened to Andrew, even if he is not as old as David; he fell in love with David not since he is a man but since he is the one who helped Andrew when no one else would. Andrew’s love moved from gratitude to passion in a smooth and natural way, and in this second chapter of their life, it’s Andrew who takes the role of the mainstay. Andrew seems to be more comfortable in his new role of gay husband, step-father of a gay teenager kid and even grand-dad of a whole bunch of children (David’s grandsons and granddaughters). Moreover, even if Andrew is more or less same age with David’s sons and daughters, he seems to be more comfortable with their May/December relationship than David, and he is the one who takes the idea of getting married with more enthusiasm than David, even if David agrees to that.
The novel is like a series of vignettes in their life; the plotline is very long, but the years seem to pass in a blur: chapter after chapter we read about summers, Thanksgivings and Christmases together, and through them all, David and Andrew have to face the classical issues of a family bringing up a kid; the first sexual explorations, the first questions. But it’s not only serious issue that we read about, there are also stupid little things like trying to find a way to have quality time together when respective works and hobbies seem to overtake all your time. Even if the even in the title, the gay wedding, happens almost at the beginning of the novel and it seemed to be over almost too soon, the author indeed is going through the wedding vows all along: “I take you to love for the rest of my life. I will rejoice with you in good times. I will suffer with you in bad. I will take care of you if you are sick as you have done for me. I will stay with you no matter what happens in our lives."
http://www.jms-books.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=7&products_id=446
Amazon: David and Andrew Book 2: With These Rings
Amazon Kindle: David and Andrew Book 2: With These Rings
Paperback: 164 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace (February 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1468137654
ISBN-13: 978-1468137651
Series: David & Andrew
1) One Night in December: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1292638.html
2) With These Rings
Reading List: http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle