Chapter 28

The next summer, one week before his 43^rd birthday, the call came through for Leo from Beau Pre just before he was headed out for work.

“Granny Marble died last night in her sleep,” Joseph told his son, sounding very much in control. “It’s the way she would have wanted to go after her long, productive 91 years. There was no warning. It just happened. I think we’d all like to go that way.”

Having long ago decided that Granny Marble would live forever, Leo felt the shock throughout his body. His legs and feet felt hollow. In a world full of uncertainties, he thought Granny Marble would always be a constant he could depend upon. Now, she was gone to parts unknown.

“When are the services?” Leo said, making an effort to suppress the emotion brewing inside of him.

“Saturday,” Joseph said. “Do you think you can come?”

“Of course I can come, Daddy. I wouldn’t miss it. Jay can make it, too, since he’s no longer doing weekends.”

“He’s more than welcome.”

Leo caught his breath and pressed on. “How are you and Uncle Brady doing, Daddy? Tell me the truth now.”

Joseph took his time. “As best as could be expected under the circumstances. I think everybody Moms knew thought she was going for a world record when it came to longevity.”

“You can’t see it right now, but I’m raising my free hand,” Leo said. “Count me in that number.”

After the two men had signed off with mutual expressions of love and concern, Leo sat down on the sofa and told Jay what had happened, unable to keep a hitch out of his voice.

“Are you going to be okay, babe?” Jay said, putting his arm around Leo’s shoulder.

“It hasn’t really gotten through to me yet deep down where I live. My brain knows it, but the rest of me seems to be vibrating wildly, looking for an explanation. I know there will be tears at some point, and I’ll want you around when that happens.”

Jay kissed him tenderly on the cheek. “You can count on that. I’ll always be here for you.”

“Would you like to go up for the services with me? You’re more than welcome. Granny Marble was genuinely fond of you and your mathematical brain.”

“I felt the same way about her. I’d be proud to pay my respects.”

Leo momentarily felt the hollowness in his legs disappear. There was no substitute for being ‘married in his heart’ to the man sitting beside him.

It was during the busy reception in the church fellowship hall following the understated Saturday Beau Pre services—long on familiar hymns but short and to the point on the eulogy, as Granny Marble had requested—that Joseph took his son aside and handed him a letter.

“Granny Marble said I was to give this to you when the occasion finally arose. That was several years ago, but it was after you and Jay came up to introduce yourselves as a couple. It was then that she gave this to me for safekeeping. So, here it is at long last.”

Leo and Joseph found adjoining seats on the perimeter of the large room full of chatting people, where Leo opened the envelope carefully and began reading:

My dear grandson,

If you are reading this, I am no longer walking amongst all of you in my lavender best. I cannot say what I am up to, but rest assured, I am not overly concerned about it one way or another. Perhaps I will be playing music. Or maybe solving a math problem. I sincerely hope to be involved in the universe in some constructive form or other. Isn’t that what we all wish?

What I am concerned about, however, is you and your lovely friend, Jay. As someone who took chances that women were not supposed to take at the time of my coming of age, I applaud the fact that you and Jay are stepping up to claim your lives on your own terms. This world belongs to everyone. No one should be excluded.

I know that life is unfair at times. It requires patience and determination to achieve your goals. My wish for you and Jay is that you can do so out in the open and proudly. I realize that at this time it is not possible for you to participate in a sanctioned marriage, but change is inevitable.

When I was in college at Randolph-Macon, women could not even vote. There were a lot of other things we could not do, some quite obvious, and others hidden behind the doors of smoke-filled rooms, and even in the halls of Congress. I won’t go into detail, but suffice it to say that I have not taken my life for granted; neither my marriage to your grandfather Sykes nor my successful Marble School of Music. Both required constant work, as all good things in life do.

I can’t foresee the future, but perhaps things will change enough at some point to accommodate you and Jay. To that end, I have made arrangements in my will, for you, my grandson, to receive the sum of $25,000 to be set aside for use on the occasion of your marriage, no matter when and how that comes about. Call me intuitive, but I can see that happening somewhere down the road.

I want to wish you and Jay every happiness. May both of you live long and happy lives, as I have.

All my love,

Granny Marble

Leo handed the letter over to his father and waited for him to finish reading it.

“That’s quite generous of her,” Joseph said, handing it back. “It’s almost like she’s lighting a fire under your feet to get married, isn’t it? Leave it to Moms.”

Jay joined them after he had spent some time chatting with Louisa Marble across the room, and Leo gave him his turn looking over the good news.

“Your grandmother had a lot of faith in change, didn’t she?” Jay said, as Leo tucked the letter into his pocket. “I wish I were as confident.”

“She witnessed a lot of it in her lifetime. I think she knew what she was talking about.” Then, Leo shrugged. “I suppose we could get married in New Orleans tomorrow if we wanted to at the Metropolitan Community Church. Outsiders would sneer and call it a gay joke church, of course, and it wouldn’t be recognized by the state of Louisiana, either.” He turned to his father. “We’ve done everything we could to protect ourselves, our income and our property legally, though.”

“Very smart, son. I’d expect nothing less of you.”

“When I visited with Jay’s parents in Biddeford Pool, he and I kinda made up our minds that we really wanted to be married up there right off the Atlantic Ocean,” Leo said. “You wouldn’t believe the setting—the blue water, the rocks, the lighthouse on Wood Island, the clanging buoys at night. It was made for romance.”

“Then that’s what you both should shoot for,” Joseph said. “And now you have a $25,000 incentive to find a way to work something out.”

“You have to like her cutting-edge optimism,” Leo added. “I think that sums up life for me and Jay right now.”

*

Seven months later at the Coalition office, Terrence shoved a Xeroxed article under Leo’s nose. “It’s about the Unitarian-Universalist Church. They’ve only been around for a few years, but they perform gay marriages all over the country now. Almost all the older established churches have been standoffish, as you know. I did a bit of research at the library, and it turns out the UU has a congregation in Southern Maine in Portland. That’s not all that far from Biddeford Pool, I believe.”

Leo finished reading the article with great interest. “Yeah, Portland’s just a short drive north on the Turnpike. How did you find out about this church anyway?”

“You know me. I keep up with everything going on in the country about our cause with my contacts. Jim Stuart at the Boston Coalition called me up and told me about it. So I haven’t forgotten that you and Jay would like very much to be married at his family home there in Biddeford Pool. Preferably legally, but that might not be possible for a while yet. I just thought you’d like to be aware of what’s new on the horizon. I’ve already told Phil about it, and we’re keeping it in our to-do-somedaymaybe files.”

“Can I take this home to Jay?”

“That’s why I copied it for you.” Terrence handed it over and continued. “By the way, I have some news for you. I’m moving in with Phil next week, that is, if you guys don’t mind. I’m not officially on his lease, but we want to live together as a couple before taking the next step the way you guys want to do.”

“Of course we don’t mind. Two gay couples in one camelback. Our very own version of Upstairs, Downstairs.”

“Without the servants,” Terrence added, laughing. “We gay guys like to do everything for ourselves.”

“Hey, nobody’s going to do it for us. History’s not on our side there.”

“Still,” Terrence said, “it gives me a good feeling to know that with our Coalition and what it stands for, we might be changing history.”

Leo and Jay were taking a warm, soothing bubble bath in the tub together, one at either end, while discussing the pros and cons of a wedding at Biddeford Pool in the near future.

“I just don’t want it to appear like we’re doing this suddenly because of the money Granny Marble set aside for me,” Leo was saying, playfully making a beard of lavender-scented soap bubbles.

“Who’s going to think that?” Jay said. “Only your immediate family will even know about that provision in your grandmother’s will. You don’t intend to go around announcing it to people, do you?”

Leo wiped off his beard with one swoop of his hand. “Of course not.”

“You’re not afraid of the commitment, right?”

“Do you even have to ask?”

“Then what’s to stop us?”

“Nothing. But you and I are going to have to sit down and come up with a guest list that doesn’t hurt anyone’s feelings.”

Jay blew some bubbles in Leo’s general direction. “I’m not blowing you off, but if we’re gonna do this, we have to do it right. And just because we invite a lot of people, doesn’t necessarily mean they can afford to travel all the way to Maine and stay for a day or two.”

“Good point.”

Jay narrowed his eyes. “You can’t possibly feel guilty about the money your grandmother left you, can you?”

“I wouldn’t say guilt is the right word. I certainly wouldn’t want to disappoint her, either. I’m just wondering if we should wait until we can have a marriage ceremony that’s actually legal and spend the money then. There’s a part of me that feels like we’d be throwing her money away otherwise.”

“Here’s a thought, babe. Your grandmother may be right that things may change somewhere down the line, but right now, we can’t count on it. We could always return to Biddeford Pool and repeat our vows if the laws change.”

Leo’s tone seemed to soften. “That’s true enough.”

“Meanwhile, I don’t want to darken the mood here, but our parents aren’t going to live forever. Maybe we should go ahead and do this while they’re all still healthy and alive and able to bear witness to our joy. I mean, your precious grandmother is gone now, and no one is getting any younger.”

Leo maneuvered his toes underwater and managed to pinch a small piece of skin near Jay’s waist.

“Ouch! What’d you do that for?”

“Just my playful way of telling you that you’ve finally vanquished any misgivings I’ve been having. You’ve convinced me. Let’s start planning this extravaganza. After you get your parent’s permission, of course.”

“Playful way? Painful way is more like it. You’ll see. You’ll be sorry when I learn how to pinch using my big toe and my second little piggie the way you do.”

“Hey, it’s just a love pinch, but I’ll never teach you the technique.”

Jay managed a good—natured chuckle. “I’ll find a manual somewhere. Anyway, are you kidding about getting my parents’ permission? They’ve been after both Angelle and me to tie the knot for some time now. With separate partners, of course.”

Leo splashed some sudsy water toward Jay’s end. “So it looks like you and I may just order up the ‘I do’s’ before Angelle and Chase get to it.”

Jay lifted both hands out of the water and gestured, palms up. “I have to say that I never in a million years growing up believed that I’d get married before she did. At least, not to a man. Maybe this will spur a proposal from one of those two.”

“They’ve been dating long enough. Why don’t we consider making Chase my best man, and Angelle maid of honor? Maybe that’ll do the trick.”

“Our fathers each should be our best men,” Jay said. “Why not? There’s really no precedent for ceremonies like ours. My sister could be maid of honor, yes, but our mothers could be matrons of honor. Hellfire, we can do this any way we want. We can make the rules on our own, since most of the world hasn’t bothered to include us in theirs.”

“So we can.”

“And we don’t have to figure everything out right this second,” Jay said, straightening up and leaning in for a kiss.

The two men spent some time in a liplock as they rubbed their slick bodies together. It was the perfect ending for a serious discussion about the bright future they envisioned for themselves.