Three and a half weeks,after the(first)break up:

Dylan is walking to Marcos' house. He parked up the street. Feels that if he just parked out front Marco will never let him in. But Mrs. Del Rossi might...

...His fist feels almost too heavy to lift...to knock ... It is Mrs. Del Rossi who opens the door. She stares at him,anger,sadness then finally pity change places on her face. She backs away, opening the door...

Last week it took half the team,and his coach to pull him off a teammate at practice. He thought the kid said "Man you're so missing your Marco!" Yeah, of course it was 'marks'. Lately the the only place he couldn't score was in the rink.

He was so sure Marco would have at least called by now. Everybody else had,and it was driving him nuts. Coach said don't come back on his ice till he got whatever it was straightened out

Marco is down at the church...

The priest has been a good friend for years and has always given good advice. He even tries to encourage him to begin talking to his father about his sexuality.

They are discussing what he should do about his lingering feelings for Dylan. He can't just turn off the love,but the hurt is so big!

It was nothing he thought could ever happen between them. He wonders if he did the right thing in breaking up with him...

His friend tells him,"Yes,it was the right thing for now." "If anyone is unwilling to stop doing something they know is hurting you they don't really love you." "What you are,what you feel and believe,if these things are not shared, there is no relationship."

"Yeah, spinner says anything else is just a (blushing) P.O.A." The priest smiles,"If I had heard that it might cost you a few Hail-Mary's, so ..."

He stands up putting a hand on his young friends' shoulder. "You pray about it again,ask what you truly want. He may say yes, or he might say 'I can see all of it, and trust me, you don't want to go there!'"

"He will always love us. You have known you are truly his son too, long enough to know what his answers feel like. You'll know it when it comes."

Marco smiles, a little sadly. "Guess I better get home before mom starts to worry."

The priest stops him as he is turning to go..."I don't know Dylan, but he sounds like what most of the girls your age still call a dumb-jock?" Marco bites his bottom lip,looking at the floor then back up at him with a slight smile.

" Marco the kind of feelings that you can think about,.. talk about easily often frighten boys like that. Your father is kinda like that. Do you see?"

For the first time in what feels like forever the pain of it all eases a little.

Outside...He pauses ...looks up...eyes closed..."Please..." Just that one word. In the space between one breath and the next...some feeling...like joy...like ...coming home .

When he opens his eyes,the world is unchanged...of course... Going down the steps. Turning for home. There...on the sidewalk...Dylan...