Going Home
It turned out Mark didn’t have any issues with Dev and Josh’s relationship. He had his suspicions, but he saw Dev happy, and that was all that mattered. Besides, Mark liked Josh and got along well with him, and his kids loved him, too.
The unexpected problem came from Janie and her family. Mark didn’t think he could hide Dev and Josh’s relationship from his wife and tried to explain it to her. Her anger both shocked and surprised him.
“They are no longer welcome in this house! I will not have them around my children!”
Mark rarely raised his voice, but he yelled, “This is my house and they are my kids too! Dev’s my brother! I won’t have you talk badly about him. If you can’t say anything nice, then stay quiet. He will come over with Pops, like always, and you will make him feel welcome!”
Janie simmered with anger, but as a devout Southern Baptist, she obeyed her husband. However, that didn’t stop her from visiting her brothers behind his back. What followed was a storm of anger. Her brothers went to their church and informed the Elders about Dev and Josh.
Mark was called on the carpet by Pastor Reynolds, forced to listen to every scripture and proverb they cited. They went on for nearly an hour before slowing down, and Pastor Reynolds finally asked him, “What do you have to say for yourself? Allowing sinners into your home to be around your children.”
In a barely controlled tone of voice, Mark said, “You just unloaded the biggest load of horseshit I’ve ever heard. You cherry-pick scripture and take it out of context. I’ve studied the Bible my entire life, and you manage to bend everything I’ve heard to suit your point. I would ask you – what about compassion and unconditional love? Jesus welcomed sinners and treated them with respect. Dev isn’t gay, and Josh doesn’t flaunt his preferences in front of anyone. Their lives are private, between them.”
Pastor Reynolds's face reddened so much that Mark thought he was about to have a stroke.
“As your spiritual leader, you will do as I say! I will not brook disobedience to God’s Will!”
“God isn’t speaking through you. I’ve read about righteous anger and His judgment. His judgement! Not yours. “Judge not lest ye be judged.” Does that sound familiar, you arrogant prick?! I’m not setting foot back in this cesspool of bigotry and hate, and I won’t have my kids growing up listening to it either. Janie can continue coming if she wants, but it’s against my will if she does. We’ll find another church that isn’t filled with hate.”
The door nearly came off its hinges when Mark slammed it shut behind him. He drove straight home, gathered his kids in the car, and headed to the farm. Janie begged him to reconsider and stay, but he looked at her like she was a stranger.
“You brought this on yourself, woman. I didn’t realize you harbored so much hate in your heart. Think long and hard about how you want to move forward.”
<><>
When Mark pulled up, the kids jumped out and ran into the house to see their GrandPop. Mark’s face showed his anger, and Dev asked him, “What’s going on?”
Mark explained everything, and Dev and Josh felt terrible. Josh, in particular, said, “I’m sorry, Mark. This is all because of me.”
“No, it’s not, Josh. Everything in them was already there, you being here didn’t put their hate and bigotry in their hearts, you being here just exposed it. Frankly, I’m glad. I’ve sat through church and bible study with those people for years, and they haven’t learned a damn thing from what they preach.”
Dev asked, “What do you think Janie’s gonna do?”
Mark sighed, “I don’t know. I’m not sure if I want her back after this. I thought she was better than this.”
Josh asked, “What if she wants a divorce and takes the kids?”
“I don’t know. I work here on the farm. Everything is still in Pops name, so she can’t come after any of our land. I can provide the kids a home, food, and everything they need. She can’t do squat. If Pops fires me, I can still provide everything for the kids by living here with him. Pops is good friends with the Sheriff and the Judge. I just don’t know how much pressure Pastor Reynolds can bring to bear.”
Dev said, “Let’s go in the house and help Pops with dinner.”
<><>
After dinner, near sundown, Frank lit a fire for the kids to roast marshmallows. The nights were starting to cool, and the fire felt invitingly warm.
Josh suddenly said, “Dev, look.”
Far down the dirt road, multiple headlights were headed to the farm.
Dev said, “Pops, get the kids inside.”
Josh ran to the bunkhouse and grabbed Dev a shotgun that Frank kept there, along with his pistol from Vietnam. He wasn’t supposed to bring it back, but he snuck it through. It was the same pistol he used to kill the Vietnamese soldiers who captured Dev.
He tossed the shotgun to Dev, and they waited. Two pickups pulled up, and eight men got out. Two of them were Janie’s brothers, Mick and Kurt. The rest were men Mark recognized from church. He went to Bible study with all of them. Mick, Kurt, and two others held rifles.
Mick pointed at Josh and Dev and boldly said, “We don’t want your kind around here. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll take off and never come back.”
Looking at Dev, he said, “I never figured you for a faggot, Devon Kincaid.”
Kurt spoke for the first time.
“We’re taking the kids back to their mom. They don’t need to be around you.”
Mark stepped forward and said, “I don’t believe you guys. Get out of here before I call the Sheriff.”
Mick lifted his rifle, and the gunshot echoed in Josh and Dev’s ears. Adrenaline surged through their bodies, turning them into the seasoned combat Marines they were. They were snipers, but also skilled in hand-to-hand combat. The impact of the bullet spun Mark around, and he fell to the ground.
To Dev and Josh events started to happen in slow motion. Josh lifted his pistol, aimed at Mick’s hand, and fired. At less than fifteen feet, Josh rarely ever missed his target. In rapid succession, he fired three more shots, aiming for the hands of the other men holding weapons.
With all of them disarmed, Dev moved in. Rage overwhelmed him, mixed with a touch of fear when Mark dropped. The rifle looked to be low caliber, but he couldn’t be sure in the dark. He wanted to kill them, eliminate them, but he held enough restraint not to do that. Still, he didn’t hold back from kicking their asses. Two combat-trained Marines faced eight cocky rednecks. By the time Dev had taken down four of them, Josh clicked the safety on his pistol, tucked it into the back of his jeans, and advanced on the others. Dev took out one more, and Josh handled the remaining three. As soon as they were down, Dev went to Mark. There was blood on his shoulder, and he was in a lot of pain, but he was alive.
He yelled, “Pops! Call an ambulance and the Sheriff!”
Josh grabbed some rope from the barn and tied up the eight men. Three of them had severe flash burns on their hands from when Josh disarmed them, and another was bleeding badly where one of his fingers used to be.
The noise frightened the kids, and they started crying. Frank was trying to keep them calm. Josh grabbed a dish towel and wrapped it around the man's hand who lost a finger. He then grabbed a full-sized towel to apply pressure to Mark’s shoulder.
“I know it hurts like a bitch, Mark, but we need to try and stop the bleeding. Hang in there. Your dad called an ambulance.”
Dev’s voice trembled with anger, “You sons of bitches. All of you. This is your fault. We should have killed the lot of you. You’re lucky we didn’t. What were you thinking?”
Mick spat at him, “This is your fault, faggot.”
Josh asked, “So that’s what you learn in church? Did Pastor Reynolds put you up to this?”
Mick yelled, “He said you two are an abomination in God’s eyes and there’s no place for queers around here.”
Twenty minutes later the ambulance arrived. The driver called another ambulance for the missing finger and the flash burns. He realized there was no way he could safely transport Mark with any of the antagonists.
Josh told Dev, “You go with Mark. Frank needs to stay here with the kids. I’ll come to you when things here settle down.”
The Sheriff arrived while they spoke, and he saw the eight men tied up and gagged, and one of them bleeding. He heard the radio chatter and knew Mark Kincaid was in the first ambulance.
“What the tarnation happened here, Devon? I need statements from everyone.”
Josh volunteered since Dev had to go with Mark. Part of his sniper training involved memorization techniques, and he had the entire scene burned into his memory. His statement was extremely detailed.
After Josh finished giving his statement, Frank asked him to stay with the kids while he spoke with the sheriff. They had grown up together and were good friends, and he wanted to make sure Pastor Reynolds hadn’t already tainted his opinion.
Another deputy arrived with the second ambulance, and the Sheriff went inside the kitchen with Frank, but not before telling the Deputy to cuff the four uninjured men. The group was surly and uncooperative, further illustrating how quickly things escalated.
Frank was as angry as Josh had seen him, but he spoke in a tight, controlled voice, “Virgil, Janie instigated this entire affair.”
He brewed some coffee and told a shortened story of how Josh and Dev survived Vietnam together and how they rely on one another.
“I know most folks around here won’t understand that, but my son and his partner are heroes.”
Josh listened, red-faced at Frank's recounting, but he added, “Sheriff, one of those men said Pastor Reynolds all but told them to do what they did. If it’s ok with you, I want to go to the hospital to be with Mark and Dev.”
“Ok, son. I’ll get a statement from Mark tomorrow if he’s up to it. You and Dev just be available and stay nearby. I’m going to talk to the Judge before I bring any charges. The boys who did this will be in my holding cell for the next twenty-four hours. That’ll give me and the Judge time to get our ducks in a row.”
Sheriff Baker said, “Josh, I’m sorry about all this. We’ll get to the bottom of it. Any man, especially a Marine, doesn’t deserve what happened here tonight, regardless of his personal circumstances.”
Putting his hat back on he said, “I’ll see you folks tomorrow. Try and have a good rest of your evening.”
Frank seemed tired and haggard, and Josh said again, “I’m sorry about this, Frank.”
“Never you mind. I wish Mark had better taste in women, or none of this would’ve happened.”
Josh knew he wasn’t joking, but he said, “She did give you those beautiful grandkids, though.”
With a wan smile, Frank said, “You’re right about that, son. I am grateful to her for that.”
“You look tired, would you rather me stay?”
“No. I’m sure Devon wants you there with him. I’ll be alright. You know how to get to Luverne. Stay on the highway, and the hospital is about a mile north of the town square. Give my love to Mark and Dev.”
He hugged Josh tightly and said, “That goes for you, too, son.”
Josh’s emotions were still high, but being told he was loved by anyone other than Dev was new to him.
“Thanks, Pops. I love you too.”
<><>
The Sheriff ensured the incident didn’t appear in the local paper. The Judge had to step in, citing the children’s care and safety as the reason, but after the Sheriff explained everything, he didn’t want more hostility directed at the Kincaid farm. Anyway, the town gossips would have a field day, and everyone would find out regardless.
Mark’s wound was serious and required emergency surgery. The bullet had lodged in bone and needed to be taken out. There was significant nerve damage, and he might lose some movement in his arm.
Frank drove into town to speak with Judge Rogers. Sheriff Baker accompanied him. They discussed matters privately for hours. All eight men ended up in jail for varying durations. The Judge issued a restraining order against Janie, requiring her to stay away from Mark and the children for the next six months. Pastor Reynolds couldn't be directly charged, but the Judge made it clear that he held him responsible.
In the long run, Mark divorced Janie and gained custody of the children. Fathers rarely gained custody over the mother, but Janie’s behavior in court landed her a month in jail for contempt, revealing her true colors to the judge.
<><>
Dev and Josh lived in the bunkhouse, while Mark moved into the main house. They added a few extra rooms for the kids so they would have their own bedrooms as they got older.
The years rolled by. Dev and Josh did most of the farm work. Mark’s arm limited him somewhat, but he still pulled his weight. Mark went to town for groceries, and Dev and Josh stayed out of sight, and eventually the whole incident faded away. Pastor Reynold’s church failed, and a new church was started. The new pastor is what Pastor Reynolds should have been all along.
The war ended in 1977, ten years after Dev and Josh returned to the States. They still carried Vietnam inside them, occasionally having nightmares, but if they woke to find the other man there, they could go back to sleep.
They maintained their bodies, looking fit and more handsome than ever. They aged well, and neither lost any hair. If anything, the sex between them was better than ever. Their love never dimmed and grew even deeper as the years passed.
The kids were older and had all moved out. None of them wanted to stay on the farm. Most went to college and started their own lives. When the house was empty again, Frank seemed sad and lonely, and he passed away from a sudden heart attack in 1980, which devastated them.
Dev, Josh, and Mark did their best to keep the farm running, but foreign competition in the cotton industry encroached, and larger, more automated farms expanded. Each year, they had to sell more land to cover the property taxes. Eventually, they were forced to sell what was left. Mark insisted they divide the money three ways, considering Josh his brother in every sense.
Mark used the money to buy a small house closer to town, met a nice widow around his age, and remarried. Her name was Sue. The kids had moved far away to other states and rarely visited.
With Mark settled into his new life, Dev and Josh wanted to move away where no one would remember them or think of them as the faggot’s that lived on the old Kincaid farm. Mark was upset but understood.
“It’s not fair, guys. I’m sorry,” he said. He cried and hugged them both when it was time to say goodbye.
Dev and Joshed moved to Atlanta. Atlanta had the second-largest Veterans Administration operation in the country, with a large hospital. Both were in good health, but as they aged, if they needed medical assistance, the VA would take care of them.
Vietnam never abandoned them, but over time it faded more from their conscious memory. They still kept the two small jars of dirt they brought back, and a sniff of them would bring back memories. They often went camping and slept on the ground in a sleeping bag, reminiscing.
They were happy together. Both took part-time jobs even after reaching retirement age, just to stay busy. They volunteered frequently for various causes and kept themselves busy.
They lived through the era of 8-track tapes, cassette tapes, VHS tapes, and the birth of Blockbuster Video. Technology changed the world as the Internet emerged. Josh embraced it and got them an AOL email account so they could stay in touch with Mark and the grandkids and even Mark’s great-grandkids.
They watched the news closely when Desert Storm occurred. Seeing the advancements in warfare made them feel old and outdated. They both started to feel like they no longer fit into the world. They yearned for the simpler days on the farm before voice mail, email, smartphones, and fast food.
Josh worked hard to only cook healthy foods. He laughed, saying he needed to keep Dev’s cock in good working order for both their sakes. Sex was still a big part of their lives. They did slow down, but compared to most men their age, they were sex crazed fanatics. They had workout equipment in their apartment and walked everywhere they could to stay fit.
By 2023, Dev and Josh were both over eighty years old. They witnessed the election of the first Black president. With all the technological advancements, the world was unrecognizable to them. They slowed down but didn’t stop. The neighborhood they lived in declined, but they couldn’t afford to move because of the economy.
One afternoon, Josh walked to the corner store to buy fresh vegetables and some chicken for dinner. Hearing gunfire triggered him, and he suddenly wanted Dev very badly. He walked with a cane and hurried home, noticing the flashing lights of an ambulance parked in front of his building. He hurried over and saw Devon on the stretcher as they were loading him into the ambulance.
A policeman tried to keep him away, but he was frantic, saying, “He’s my partner! Please, I have to get to him!”
Even after gay marriage became legal, Dev and Josh chose not to marry but opted for a civil union instead. They each held a medical power of attorney for the other and regularly updated their wills. Dev kept a small laminated card in his wallet with the license number, which he showed to the policeman, and he was allowed to enter the ambulance.
Dev’s shirt was torn open, and he had a gunshot wound in his chest.
“What happened? How did he get shot?”
While the EMTs worked, one of them said, “There was a gang shooting, and he caught a stray bullet.”
Josh was in a fog, terrified for Devon. Devon was taken into the ER and straight into surgery. Josh sat in the waiting room, crying for both of them. Devon needed to know he was there.
You have to know I’m here.
Three hours later, a doctor came out to talk to him.
“Mr. Brennan? Are you with Devon Kincaid?”
“Yes! How is he?”
“Mr. Brennan, it was a complex surgery. I’m concerned his heart was severely damaged. He’s stable, sleeping now, and being transferred to the ICU. I understand you’re his partner and have legal rights to be with him and make decisions.”
His voice shaking, he said, “Yes.”
“I’m sorry Mr. Brennan, but his heart is giving out. He’s on a ventilator to assist his heart, but when we take him off, it will be a matter of hours or a day at most and he’ll be gone. I’m sorry. We did our best, but the damage was too severe.”
Through his tears, Josh stammered, “When can I see him?”
“This would be a good time if you need to go home and contact anyone, or gather anything you might need. He’s heavily sedated, so he won’t be lucid or aware for a few hours at least. There’s a chance he might not wake at all.”
Josh seemed so lost that the doctor was concerned, but before he could say anything, he was called away over the intercom for another emergency.
<><>
Josh had his phone and called an Uber. Devon was at St. Joseph’s, and it was a twenty-minute drive to their apartment. He asked the Uber driver to wait while he grabbed his jacket and phone charger.
As he returned to the car, Josh saw his grocery bag on the curb. Someone had taken the chicken but left the vegetables. He didn’t understand why that upset him so much, but it made him tear up again.
<><>
Devon drifted in and out of a coma while Josh held his hand. He occasionally regained awareness and sensed Josh's presence. Only semi-lucid, he didn’t make sense at first until Josh realized he was back in Vietnam, reliving their shared memories.
Reliving their life together.
Josh found comfort in knowing that, at least in Dev’s memories, they were together, young, and healthy. Still, it didn’t relieve his own loneliness. Whenever Dev spoke, Josh was there. He hung on every word. They were the last words he would ever hear Devon speak.
After a few hours, Dev took his last breath. Josh thought he was ready, but he wasn’t. Something about Dev felt different. He was gone, and somehow Josh sensed it. The stillness of his face, his handsome face, was absolute. The surgeon was present and marked the time of death.
Breaking down, Josh lay across Devon’s chest, sobbing. The nurses came to check on him, and after an hour, one of them gently said, “Mr. Brennan, I’m sorry, but we have to take him now. Can I call anyone for you? Are you here alone?”
Josh knew he should call Mark, but he still couldn’t speak. He stumbled out of the room, unsure of what to do. He and Dev hadn’t been apart in sixty years. It was the first time in all those years he didn’t have Dev to hold onto. Dev could no longer hold him either.
He didn’t remember how he got home, but he woke up in his recliner. They had bought matching recliners to watch TV together. He expected to see Dev beside him, but he wasn’t there and remembered he was gone.
<><>
Devon found himself in the jungle, weighed down by his gear. His M40 was across his back, and his Ghillie suit was rolled up and stowed in his pack. His canteen was full. The heat and humidity of the jungle wrapped around him. It felt and smelled like home, but something was missing.
Where’s Josh?
He didn’t panic and remembered that Josh was going to meet him. This was their final mission, and Josh had one last thing to do.
<><>
Josh woke up the next morning. He had fallen asleep crying, and he needed to pee. The apartment was quiet and empty, and he wanted Dev. Pulling himself together, he called Mark, who was devastated. Mark said he would let everyone else in the family know.
“I’m so sorry, Josh. Why don’t you come and stay with me? You shouldn’t be alone.”
“I need to be here for a few days to make all the arrangements. Dev wanted to be cremated. I want to keep his ashes, but when I go, I’ll leave instructions to have us both sent to you. Will you figure out a way to get them back to Vietnam? I want our ashes scattered in the jungle. We’ll finally be back where we belong.”
Mark promised and said he would figure it out. Josh surprised himself when he stopped crying. He felt calm, and made all the arrangements he and Dev had agreed to. He wasn’t hungry but knew he should eat something. He started a pot of coffee and went back to his recliner to turn on the TV.
Mindlessly, he watched Wheel of Fortune. He and Dev always watched Pat and Vanna, and competed to solve the puzzles. The thought brought a smile to his face, and he fell asleep.
He never woke up. His desire to be in the world ended with Dev’s passing, and his grief was overpowering. He had settled their affairs, fulfilled his obligations, and it was time to go with Devon.
<><>
Josh woke up to Dev sitting beside him.
“About time you showed, Okie. Get up, we have to go. This is our last mission.”
“Where are we going?”
“Home, buddy. It’s time to go Home.”
Dev held out his hand and pulled Josh to his feet, and together they entered Heaven.
The End
Author’s Note
Broken-heart syndrome (takotsubo cardiomyopathy) Broken-heart syndrome, also known as stress cardiomyopathy or takotsubo syndrome, can occur when a person experiences severe emotional or physical stress, such as the grief of losing a loved one. It’s not common, but it is a real condition, so if you were wondering about Josh’s passing, this was the cause.
To get in touch with the author, send them an email.
