Published: 17 Jul 2025

John Sievers, the owner of the Buick franchise shook hands with Seth and asked him to take a seat. He was pleased to see the young man dressed in khakis and a golf shirt instead of the shorts and a tank top like he usually wore when mowing. It made a good impression.

“I hope you didn’t think I called you in to complain about your work. It’s always been excellent. You’re more conscientious than the service I used to employ. It helps our image to have a quality look.

“My manager told me about the pictures you have of the project you’re doing for the acreage owner. May I see some of them?”

Seth was quick to pull up the recent photos on his phone. Mr. Seivers hooked the phone to his monitor so he could see them on a larger scale. Seth was pleased at how great they looked enlarged.

“I love the layout with the young trees and limestone slabs to sit on. I can see the beginnings of blooms on the wildflowers. That’s a lovely solution to what might have been a lot of ordinary lawn. I’d like you to design something along that line for the area between our showroom and the street. I want our customers to feel like they’re coming into a garden setting rather than a concrete parking lot. I want this to be more like a destination one might choose to enjoy. I’d also like to have an area for serving food incorporated into the design. What I have in mind is a place where a large gas-fired grill can be brought in, and stone counters which could hold food with possibly a canopy overhead to protect it from a light rain shower. If you’re interested, please make a few drawings and give me a ballpark figure of what it will cost. I won’t hold you to an exact amount. There are too many variables in prices these days. I will pay you $200 for your effort, and I will stipulate that we won’t use your design with another company if you choose not to do the work. I promise to be fair. Are you at all interested?”

“I’m definitely interested. I’d love to have another commission on my resume. I’ll do my best to give you what you want. I also have two or three guys who would be willing to help me. I might have to subcontract for the delivery of the stone slabs, but I think we could handle the rest.”

Seth could hardly wait to tell his associates about the offer. It would provide income for Konnor and Kayden plus Jerrod, if he could be persuaded to give notice at his fast-food job which he hated.

Konnor texted Kayla again before heading for the apartment they shared. He gave her a heads up that he was coming to get his stuff and move out. He took Kayden with him to speed up the process.

Using his key, he unlocked the door and called her name. He received no answer. The brothers found her in bed. She seemed to be asleep, but on further investigation, Konnor discovered that she was cold and had no pulse. They immediately left the room and called 911.

The police came quickly, along with an ambulance. They assessed the situation and took photos of the scene before having her body transported to the morgue. Obviously, there was no reason to take her to the hospital because there were no signs of life.

Konnor was questioned more than Kayden because of his relationship with the deceased. The officer in charge wanted to know about his movements during the past 24 hours. Fortunately, he had been with friends and family who could vouch for the whole time. He also offered to have his cell phone records checked. Those would verify that he’d attempted to contact her several times during that period and had received no response. The empty pill bottle on the nightstand gave an indication that she might have taken her own life. It was bagged as evidence. There was also a note left for Konnor. It was short and to the point.

“I’m sorry, Konnor. I love you and I don’t want to mess up your life. Please forgive me.”

Since there were no signs of a struggle or forced entry, it didn’t appear to be a crime scene. Thus, the authorities didn’t search every bit of it. However, Konnor was advised not to remove anything, and the door to the apartment would be sealed until the investigation was completed.

Konnor was left tearful and shaken. Despite having decided to break up with Kayla, he was shocked and saddened. His sincere tears might have been a good thing from the standpoint of the police. They had no reason to suspect that he had anything to do with her demise.

Kayden drove them to the acreage because they were both at loose ends about what to do and wanted to be around friends. On the way, Konnor called Kayla’s father, Kurt, to break the news. He felt that was best because her mother tended to be rather emotional, and she didn’t particularly like Konnor in the first place.

Kurt took the news rather stoically, saying that she’d tried suicide as a young teen but had been on a more even keel in the past five years. This was all news to Konnor. She’d never shared that with him. He wondered what other secrets had been withheld by her.

Seth’s good news about the project for the Buick dealership helped to moderate the mood at the acreage. He waited to share it until Konnor had told his story and had received sympathy from everyone, including Jerrod who had come out to help with the garden on his afternoon off.

Justin planned a simple picnic meal for all of them to share out by the pool at suppertime. He felt that food, fellowship, and time in the water would take some of the sting out of bad tidings. He thought it was a good way to strengthen the bonds with the brothers.

Skinny dipping in the pool also had a way of reducing the stress everyone felt. It allowed Konnor to feel free for the time being.

In addition, Justin invited all of them to stay overnight if they chose to. Everyone took him up on the offer after calling parents to let them know where they were. Konnor’s father, especially, thought it would be good for both of his sons. They needed to be with likeminded companions.

Since Seth was sharing his husband’s bed, there were three other bedrooms available for their guests. Kayden had kind of hoped he’d be sharing with Jerrod, but that was not the case. Jerrod was attracted to him. However, because he’d be going off to the university in the fall, he didn’t want to begin a relationship with a kid two years younger than he was. He feared that they wouldn’t be able to stay together, and he didn’t want to break either of their hearts.

As soon as the police tape was removed from the apartment, Konnor went in to get his things. He stripped the bed to launder the sheets which he would give to charity. He didn’t want any reminders of the place where Kayla had ended her life. In the process, he found two diaries which were stuffed under the mattress. He decided to take those to read before her parents got their hands on them.

The lease had been in her name only, so he wasn’t really responsible for continuing to pay the rent or cleaning it out. However, he felt he should do his share.

Kayla’s parents came in just before he left. The encounter wasn’t a pleasant one. Roxie accused him of driving her daughter to take her own life. She said that if he turned up at her funeral, she would have the police arrest him.

Kurt kept his mouth shut but followed Konnor out to his pickup and told him he didn’t agree with his wife. He knew that Konnor had always been good to her. He also let it slip that the autopsy had uncovered that she was five weeks pregnant. That was news which brought the kid more grief.

On the following morning, Konnor went to the coroner’s office to get the full report. At first, they were hesitant to let him see it. However, after proving to them that he’d been living with her for several months, and could be the father of the fetus, they shared the results.

Kayla had died of an overdose from a cocktail of sleeping pills and cough syrup. She hadn’t suffered because she would have fallen asleep quickly. Her death was ruled a suicide. She was, indeed, pregnant.

He said he didn’t know how that could be. After she’d stopped taking the pill because of side effects, he had been extremely careful to use contraceptives.

“We were barely making it financially. We knew we couldn’t afford a child, and we wanted to finish our education. I can’t understand how this could have happened.

“You know that no form of birth control is 100% effective,” the lady reminded him.

“Could I take a DNA test to make sure it’s mine? I really want to know.”

“Of course. I fully understand your concern.”

Konnor didn’t go against Roxie’s wishes. He felt that he had a right to be at the funeral, but it wasn’t worth the drama. He would visit her grave another day.

He buried himself in work to keep his mind off the whole unpleasant situation.

Seth’s bid for beautifying the Buick dealership was accepted quickly, and he was eager to get started. He reminded Mr. Sievers that the flowers would be mostly asters because it would be getting close to autumn by the time it was finished. He would plant other seeds and bulbs for spring and summer color. Mr. Sievers said he would be happy with whatever Seth did.

As planned, Jerrod gave sufficient notice to Hardee’s so that he could quit and work fulltime on the project. This was bound to be a good situation for all of the guys.

Shortly after receiving news that the baby Kayla was carrying wasn’t his, Konnor decided to read the diary entries. He’d been hesitant to pry into Kayla’s private thoughts, but now he hoped to get some inkling into what had gone on. Who had she been seeing? How could she have been unfaithful when he thought there was no one but him in the picture.

He began reading what she’d written during the last week of her life. The portion from the day she died said that she was hopeless. She couldn’t saddle Konnor with a child that wasn’t his. She wasn’t sure if the baby would be normal, though it was possible. She was just too stressed to go on.

Konnor wiped his eyes.

The entry from the previous week talked about missing her period and taking the test. She realized that what had happened would have lasting consequences. She would have to begin alienating the guy she loved so that he would leave her before the kid was born. It was the only way.

Konnor kept backing up until he found the part that provided the key to the mystery. Kayla’s cousin, Mark, had visited her unexpectedly one afternoon. He had raped her just like he had done when they were young teens. She had tried to fight him off to no avail. She was frightened and ashamed. She knew that her mother would blame her for the encounter. Mark had always been her mother’s favorite nephew.

She felt she had to keep it secret from Konnor lest he get in trouble for beating up Mark. She was beside herself with grief.

Konnor cried again. This time with wracking sobs. He wished he had known. Of course, he would have kicked the crap out of Mark. He would have had him arrested and sent to jail. He would have helped Kayla get an abortion if that was her wish. He wasn’t sure that he could have raised a child who had been conceived in this way. Damn!

In the earlier diary, he found the record of the first time Mark had forced himself on Kayla. He decided to make photocopies of the pertinent pages and give them to Kayla’s father. He wanted Roxie to know about it, but he figured she would simply deny it and destroy the pages.

Konnor asked Kurt to meet him over his lunch hour because he had something important to share. They met at a small sports bar which wasn’t terribly busy. The special was a Cuban sandwich with fries and a drink for a good price. Both ordered it.

As soon as the waitress left to place their order, Konnor gave Kurt the pages he’d copied. He prefaced it by saying that he was sorry to bring up something that would hurt him, but he felt it was his duty. Then, he sipped on his drink while Kurt perused the diary entries.

“Damn! I want to kill that bastard!” Kurt said after reading the early part about when Mark had first had sex with Kayla.

As he read further, his tears began to fall on the pages. He hated to find out what had happened, but at the same time, he needed to know.

When their sandwiches came, they had a difficult time eating them. Konnor had a reasonable appetite, but Kurt ate very little, asking for a carryout box.

Kurt picked up the tab, and before he left, he hugged Konnor.

“I should have insisted that you were welcome at the funeral. I’m sorry. None of this was your fault. I hope you will have a good life and find someone who deserves you. God bless you, Son.”

“Thank you! That means more to me than you’ll ever know.”

Konnor faced the afternoon with a lighter spirit than he’d had since the day he discovered his girlfriend’s body.

Konnor began to recover from the ordeal of losing Kayla in the way he that he had. He wasn’t ready to start dating again, but he was beginning to notice girls. He would start his second year of junior college with a fresh eye. He wasn’t going to rush into another relationship, but he would be open to whatever came his way.

Kayden felt more relaxed after coming out to his parents. His dad had never abandoned him, and his mother seemed to be coming around.

He had begun to attend church with Justin and Seth. His original motivation was to see more of Jerrod. Jerrod was the kind of boy he felt he could settle down with in the long run. In the meantime, he began to get interested in the church itself. The messages were down to earth and applied to everyday living. He found himself moved. Perhaps, there was something to this faith stuff.

Naturally, Grayson hit on him early in the game. It didn’t do him any good because it made Jerrod more protective of Kayden and served to draw them closer. That was fine with Kayden!

Konnor and Seth both received high grades for their projects. Seth’s online professor was very pleased with the changes he’d made to the front of the acreage. The man was especially excited that it was becoming a reality instead of simply a project on paper.

Konnor’s junior college instructor was equally impressed with the organic garden he was raising. Since it wasn’t very many miles from the school, he got to tour it personally and receive delicious produce right from the plants. It might not fall into the category a bribe, but it certainly didn’t hurt Konnor’s grade.

Both teachers were ecstatic over the project for the Buick dealership. They planned to use photos of it to promote their classes. Mr. Seivers decided to hold an open house in the fall to celebrate the new look of his place of business. It should be completed before Halloween.

Since the project for the Buick dealership would still be going on in the month of September, Seth’s online professor allowed him to use it in a class for fall term. The makeover of Justin’s front yard was more than adequate to earn him a top grade for the summer school class. That took a lot of pressure off Seth. He would be able to complete the requirements for the new class very early in the term. It would allow him to take a heavier load at the junior college level, and possibly give him time to become certified as a master gardener at the same time. All of these things would benefit him in the long run.

John Sievers was an honest businessman, but he was also shrewd. He decided to have his open house coincide with a “trunk or treat” for children as well as food for and the adults. The backs of several popular SUVs would be decorated and filled with treats. The portable grill which he’s asked Seth to integrate into the stonework in the front would be used to cook hotdogs and brats for everyone to enjoy. It would cost a bit of money to host this kind of spread, the publicity and goodwill he would reap would be worth it. Naturally, there would be plenty of the latest models of vehicles parked within easy walking distance.

He decided to reward Seth and his crew by having them as guests of honor. Seth was encouraged to have a display set up with business cards for those who might want to have their yards redesigned. It could be of benefit for everyone.

The night of the open house, Seth and his crew all showed up well-dressed and ready to mix with the crowd. Sievers was pleased.

Of course, Justin was in attendance and proud of his husband’s work. He was delighted that there would be publicity in the form of a local TV anchor and a reporter from the Gazette.

The affair turned out to be quite successful. Several cars were sold during the evening, and several more potential buyers were looking seriously at the inventory. To say that Mr. Sievers was happy would be the understatement of the month.

Seth was thrilled with all the attention he was getting and the amount of business cards that were picked up. Several well-heeled people from the community seemed to like the idea of having their yards updated. A few local businessmen also took an interest.

At the end of the event, all of Seth’s crew members were heading for the acreage for an overnight. Kaden was especially pleased with this since he was going to be sharing a bed with Jerrod.

No one was particularly hungry when they got to Justin’s place. However, they didn’t turn down the offer of popcorn. Konnor had raised a small patch of it in his garden and had shared it with his benefactor. Everyone thought it was the best they’d ever tasted. He decided to plant more the following year.

They watched the 10:00 o’clock news to see if there was footage of the open house. They were happy to see their faces on TV. About five minutes later, Konnor’s phone rang. It was his parents who were congratulating them.

Shortly after, the young men made their way up to bed. Konnor felt sad that he would be the only one sleeping alone.

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