Curtain Challenge

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"No, Ray. I simply do not like that design."

"Well, what about this one?" My lover suggested, holding up a dark blue one. I shook my head. Ray scowled, obviously exasperated. "Damn it Fraser, I'm sick of this. We've been here ten minutes. Just pick something for christsakes! It's just a shower curtain!"

"It has to be right one for our home," I replied, well aware of what I was looking for. I had seen it at this specific store before, when I only dreamed of a home with my partner and best friend, Ray Kowalski.

I can remember going up and down these aisles, daydreaming about a home with this man, dreaming about laying with him at night on sheets that were soft and exquisitely made, waking up with him in my arms, spending the rest of our lives together. There was nothing standard issue about what I wanted. That would seem most obvious in the choice of the man I loved - Ray is not standard issue by any definition of the term, from the hair on his head to his choice of footwear.

However, Ray's patience was wearing thin - he didn't care overmuch for domestic type of shopping, so I tried to hurry. As I looked through the plastic curtains on display, I could tell his mood had changed when he rested his hand on the small of my back and looked at me, sliding his toothpick to one corner of his mouth before he spoke. "That's fine, Fraser. Sorry I snapped. Take your time."

"Thank you, Ray," I said, smiling at him, glad that he understood that I wanted what I wanted. Then, I saw what I had been looking for. "Found it!"

"Which one?" Ray asked, leaning forward to see which one I had chosen.

"L-47, Ray," I said triumphantly, reaching into the indicated space and pulling out the curtain and then the matching shower curtain hooks. "See?" Holding up the curtain and hooks, I waited for his reaction, sure it would make him smile.

I was right.

"Yellow duckies?" Ray laughed. He slung his arm around me and squeezed me briefly before releasing me. "That's perfect, Fraser. Now let's go pick out some dishes. I'm thinking blue."

"Whatever you'd like Ray," I say, dropping the curtain and hooks into the shopping cart before pushing it down the aisle, ignoring the squeaking wheel as we shopped for our new home.

Yes, Ray and I were making a home together, yellow duckie shower curtain and all.



419 words, by Sanguine