“Ned’s right, Lex,” Cooper said to the dog who had followed him into the room and now sat by his side. Derrick turned away from the fantasy and back to reality, looking at the man whom he had known with such intimacy…now out of reach.
“I can’t avoid the world forever.” Coop switched on the computer. Derrick sighed. He knew, too, that this moment had to come.
Derrick knew why Cooper hadn’t wanted to check his email. Every night they were apart Derrick wrote him a goodnight note, and every morning one to greet his lover’s rising to a new day. It was his way of feeling closer to the man he cared for so deeply. There would be no notes from Derrick on the machine tonight, nor in the morning or any other day.
When Cooper’s email account opened, Derrick saw that a folder with his name on it
