ODDS OF LOVE : SEASON 15

Episode 39

( Mother Maddie singing to a vivid drum and guitar beat )

" I'm lost in the dark without you by my side."

Mark sat by his wife's bedside, holding her hand, staring at her peaceful beautiful face. His other hand stroked her hair that he had just combed  out its current tangles.

Lyle and Angel stood behind Mark's chair along with Gerald and Alfred.

Lyle reached out to touch Mark's tense shoulder. " Mark , we're all so sorry."

Mark pulled away and, without turning around from Susan's face, replied almost vacantly," I don't need your sympathy. There's no need for sympathy. Susan is going to be fine. Dr. Sage is going to take her case on. He says there's hope. "

Lyle stiffened slightly and turned to look at his husband and their friends. Their faces reflected the concern and alarm evident upon his own.

Gerald said hesitantly as he held his arm around Alfred's stooped over his walker body," Mark , this Dr. Sage person..... I've been talking.... We , Alfred and myself, have been talking to DuBuis and Angel about him. He doesn't seem to be a....."

Mark exhaled out a loud gusty breath. Then he said," Get out. Please. "

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" I need your support in my broken days. "

Spencer sat at the dining room table, poring over the notes of statistics and facts he planned to discuss on tomorrow's Rebel.

DuBuis put a cup of hot chocolate on the table next to his thick research books and laptop and notepad. Then he kissed him on top of his head lovingly.

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" Your strength gives me hope in the approaching storm. "

Richard sat up in his hospital bed , trying not to press the button for morphine,  as he was talking to Nigel via FaceTime on his phone about his being released tomorrow and going back to work on Monday. Then he received a surprise evening visitor.

Ethan Stone stood at the foot of the hospital bed , smiling quietly at him.

Ethan murmured ," You're bound and determined to worry all your loved ones , aren't you , my friend? "

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Justin Duncan sat at the bar at Club J listening to music and watching the Thursday night crowd dancing to the pounding frenzied music as he drank a root beer.

He would love to dance but he knew nobody would ever ask him and he didn't have the courage to do it himself. Jamal was younger than him but he had at least one boyfriend in his life. Not that Jamal actually had introduced the guy to the family or anything. But he knew his brother had one. Not like him.

Nobody wanted him. He was not the type of anyone. Not really a twink. Certainly not a bear or a daddy. He was just...... himself.

He sighed.  Maybe he should not have come out. He had a lot of classwork to do, papers to write, projects to finish. He wanted to end the semester with all A's. But he hadn't wanted to stay home with his grandma and mother worrying over Nicole and Jamal. He had to get out of the house. For just a little bit.

Suddenly a shorter than him White boy around his age , eighteen or nineteen, maybe older; he'd never been able to tell , came over to him. He was cute. Not gorgeous. But boy next door cute. Preppy cute in a plaid button down and beige chinos and loafers. Brown hair cut really short, almost military buzz style.  Shy blue eyes. The way he was looking at him had Justin swallowing hard with a quick bout of nervousness. And , excitement.

The young man licked at his pink lips and almost whispered," Would... you like to dance? "

Justin couldn't believe it. Someone wanted to dance with the wallflower of Yancey Woodward Memorial College. He was tempted to think it was a joke. A prank. A set up. But, instead he nodded and got up from the stool , finishing his soda as he did. " Sure. My name is Justin. Justin Duncan. "

The young man flushed red. " I know who you are. I .. I have seen you on campus. At Woodward College. I'm a political science major with a pre law concentrate. A freshman. Ummm , my name is.... Buckley Van Owen Jr. They call me B.J. "