Second Chances Chapter Eighteen
The End
Two years ago
It wasn’t a big ceremony, just Harold and John, their two witnesses, Grace and her fiance in front of the Justice of the Peace. They couldn’t have been happier, the newlyweds Harold and John Richards.
Grace had come to Harold’s home, the day after the two men had slept together. She had talked to both of them, released Harold from his promise to keep trying. I will always care about you, but my Harold died three years ago. I am able to move on now. I have been seeing someone. I know you have someone new now too Harold, I understand.
Earlier that morning as they still lay together, Harold had finally gotten John to tell him the reason he kept trying to push him away. John told him about how he was calling out for Grace while under sedation.
Harold had remembered the laughing woman and calling her Grace. “It was a dream, John; now that it’s come back to me, she wasn’t even Grace.”
John cried as Harold held him, “I thought you still loved her somehow, and not me. I almost lost you because of my own stupidity.” Harold just shushed and rocked him.
They didn’t want to hurt Grace, because they were together now, then to hear her telling them both she was able to move on. It was a relief to both men.
Harold loved Grace; she had become his best friend, well after John of course, in the months between that day and the wedding. She went with him to plays, museums, art exhibits, things he found he actually liked to go to and John hated.
It made him happy to see her with her new man, Professor James Traxler. They laughed it off at each other’s “Do I know you?” when Grace first introduced them to each other.
It was James who had suggested at one of their get togethers, there was a farm he knew was up for sale.
Bear had shown uncanny ability to guide Harold, heeling always now on the man’s left, away from objects the man couldn’t see on that side. It was the idea of training dogs like Bear to help others like Harold that both men had decided to make a fresh start away from New York, find a place to raise the dogs or adopt others and train them.
John was still keeping Harold hidden, ever watchful for the government goons to come after him again. Moving away from New York was perfect. And would they think to look for a dog trainer and a high school teacher in a small mid-west town?
James told them the farm’s lands were rented out to other farmers in the area, but the farm buildings themselves could be refitted.
They purchased the farm in Iowa, John keeping what he knew about its former owners a secret to himself.
Also that they had paid cash, John had 500 million or so of Harold’s billions; one of Harold’s contingencies had set him up with all of Harold’s assets. Except for the half billion he had kept, the rest was in a trust to keep the mission going.
As for the farm, John was sure the place had changed enough Harold would never remember it aside from the fact that his amnesia was diagnosed now as 99% permanent. I’m taking Harold home. He’ll never know but I will, he’ll be home.
Today
Harold Richards roused from his sleep letting go of John’s hand. “What time is it, and why is it so cold in here?”
John laughed, and sat up shaking the numbness from his arm, again. “Well the heat is off and it snowed last night. I’m going to turn up the heat and you’re going to keep your butt in that bed ‘til it’s warmed up in here. We don’t need to be anywhere for two hours and I don’t want you coming down with pneumonia.”
Harold just harrumphed at the idea of coming down sick; he hadn’t even had a cold in years, but he did stay in bed. John was soon under the covers again with him. They just cuddled together.
John told his husband about the most recent of Bear’s progeny and how the other trainers were pleased at their eagerness and ability to be trained. John was now training his first class of dogs, having finally passed his last dog trainer’s course, and John had to boast how well his class was doing. Not all the dogs were Bear’s relatives or even Malenois, they had shepherds, setters, Labradors and even some shelter rescues they had saved. All of the canines showed promise as guide dogs or assist dogs, even some were being trained as K-9s.
The elder Mr. Richards grumbled about his new class of students at the local high school. Harold was able to pass tests to get his teaching certificate in computer programming. The young people were lazy and would rather spend more time on their I-phones than listen to his lectures. John didn't believe any of Harold’s grousing because despite his complaining now, his husband had praised them and truth be told, in the group of the actually quite eager to learn students there might be some young Harolds. The way Harold boasted about some of them, one of them might even build their own machine someday John thought. But he doubted it, really, no one could code like his husband. Harold had never questioned how or where he learned, he just knew and that was good enough. Mr. Richards just tried to teach his students. And he loved it.
“Well it’s time John.”
“Yeah you get the shower first.”
Thirty minutes later, they grabbed a quick breakfast and went on to start their day.
A quick kiss at the door and a
“I love you Harold.”
“I love you John.”
John leaving to teach his four footed pupils, and Harold his two footed ones, Bear at his side.
The End
(finally)
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen