Hearing Gabriel confirm it – that’s right, we’re a couple now – shook Dal to his core. How long had he repressed his dreams of being loved? Maybe when he first came to New York, it was a conscious effort. But after a while, it just became a habit. Don’t dream, don’t hope. You can’t be disappointed if you don’t have expectations.

He’d be lying if he said Gabriel wasn’t the sort of man he used to dream of: handsome, kind, warm, loving, understanding. The reality of him is even better. Gabriel’s someone who makes a difference in the lives of people around him: through his job, through the way he cares for his loved ones and strangers alike.

Dal peered so happily at Gabriel and took his hands when Gabriel stood back up. “I never had a boyfriend before…”