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Words
Blake believes in love at first sight; Stanley isn’t so sure. Their lifelong romance begins with a random meeting in a bar and ends in happily ever after.
As the years pass, Stanley’s struggling literary career takes off, and Blake finds fulfillment as a counselor at a local community college. When the AIDS epidemic strikes their small town in the 1980s, their resolve and relationship are tested. The only way to survive the crisis is to draw strength in the love they share.
Later, as they enter their senior years, they must deal with frightening new issues of infirmity and disability. Yet through it all, the two men share a deep, emotional bond that survives and strengthens their resolve to tackle any and all challenges head on. Together.
As the years pass, Stanley’s struggling literary career takes off, and Blake finds fulfillment as a counselor at a local community college. When the AIDS epidemic strikes their small town in the 1980s, their resolve and relationship are tested. The only way to survive the crisis is to draw strength in the love they share.
Later, as they enter their senior years, they must deal with frightening new issues of infirmity and disability. Yet through it all, the two men share a deep, emotional bond that survives and strengthens their resolve to tackle any and all challenges head on. Together.
18 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 26, 2014
11 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
Paul Alan Fahey
30 books49 followersPAUL ALAN FAHEY writes for JMS Books. He is the author of the Lovers and Liars series and the editor of the 2013 Rainbow Award-winning anthology, The Other Man: 21 Writers Speak Candidly About Sex, Love, Infidelity, &Moving On. His first LGBT novella,
The View From 16 Podwale Street, published by JMS
Books, won a 2012 Rainbow Award. Over the years, his writing has appeared in numerous literary journals such as Byline, Palo Alto Review, Long Story Short,
African American Review, The MacGuffin, Thema, Gertrude, Kaleidoscope, and in a variety of fiction and nonfiction anthologies from Carry the Light, Cup of Comfort, My Mom’s My Hero to Writing on Walls, and Somewhere in Crime. He lives on the California
Central Coast with his husband, Robert Franks, and a gaggle of shelties.
For more information, visit paulalanfahey.com.
The View From 16 Podwale Street, published by JMS
Books, won a 2012 Rainbow Award. Over the years, his writing has appeared in numerous literary journals such as Byline, Palo Alto Review, Long Story Short,
African American Review, The MacGuffin, Thema, Gertrude, Kaleidoscope, and in a variety of fiction and nonfiction anthologies from Carry the Light, Cup of Comfort, My Mom’s My Hero to Writing on Walls, and Somewhere in Crime. He lives on the California
Central Coast with his husband, Robert Franks, and a gaggle of shelties.
For more information, visit paulalanfahey.com.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
February 14, 2023
This story was short but it packed a tremendous punch. Having my partner of 22 years die just last year brought the tears right back. Lovely characters.
December 3, 2015
The characters are real but the story co ears too much time in toofew pages. I would have preferred this being a full story of over 100 pages.
January 21, 2020
Historia corta de Blake y Stanley. Pareja gay con 36 años de convivencia, que a lo largo del camino han tenido infidelidades pero nada serio que los haya separado. Hasta que Stanley empieza a perder la memoria y empieza la prueba como pareja que son. Esta llena de sentimientos por ambas partes pues cada quien da su punto de vista en la trama.
September 30, 2014
A very short story about two men who have been partners for 36 years detailing one of many highlights of their life together, the night and morning after they met, and a few of the lowlights of their time together; an AIDS scare, a dementia diagnosis and an evening spent at a concert where we see that the dementia is slowly running it's course.
I enjoyed the writing style, the ages of Blake and Stanley when they got together, the immediate HEA and the learning how that HEA played out.
I enjoyed the writing style, the ages of Blake and Stanley when they got together, the immediate HEA and the learning how that HEA played out.
November 14, 2014
Love this. It's very short, but Stanley & Blake remind one of other characters met in life, on telly or in books and that makes caring for them and getting to know them possible in so few pages because our knowledge of similar stories fills in the blanks. Very episodic, but it is part of the charm.
September 2, 2014
So that's a lot of storytelling to put in a super short story. Kinda hard to get a real feel for anything since it is so short, but I do like stories that span a great length of time...just more story!
October 2, 2014
This was a beautiful, bittersweet story. I enjoyed it.
February 18, 2015
Didn´t really like this one. It´s got cheating in it and at the same time telling that they are the love of their lives? That just doesn´t work for me.
July 8, 2025
An interesting short story of love over the years. Blake and Stanley fall in love at first sight, at least according to Blake. They survive the AIDS crisis despite their open relationship at the time. They've entered their golden years when Stanley suffers a stroke which affects his memory. Definitely a very poignant story that I can empathize with. I don't want to think that something like this could happen to my husband and I, but it is something we could easily face.
August 6, 2025
love.
The story makes you wish every love could be this great. I cried the entire time. I read the story because of how wonderfully written it was and the memories I have the ones I’ve lost. Having your name remembered almost to the end is a wonderful gift.
The story makes you wish every love could be this great. I cried the entire time. I read the story because of how wonderfully written it was and the memories I have the ones I’ve lost. Having your name remembered almost to the end is a wonderful gift.
September 3, 2019
One of the best short stories I've ever read. Absolutely beautiful! A+
March 28, 2025
A very felling and well thought out book It was brilliant and I couldn't put it down until I finished it 😀
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2020
Bittersweet
This is the kind of journey that gives me hope that long term love can happen while ripping up my heart at the reality that all lives & loves eventually end. This story takes us on a quick trip through Stanley & Blake's love. It takes us near to the end of their story & finds a happy note to finish on because they're still together through it all & together they'll face whatever their end will be. I'm crying my way through a handful of tissues, but in a good way.
This is the kind of journey that gives me hope that long term love can happen while ripping up my heart at the reality that all lives & loves eventually end. This story takes us on a quick trip through Stanley & Blake's love. It takes us near to the end of their story & finds a happy note to finish on because they're still together through it all & together they'll face whatever their end will be. I'm crying my way through a handful of tissues, but in a good way.
January 11, 2017
Sad yet sweet
Words is a novelette that uses a progression of scenes over time to tell the story of a couple's relationship as it changes and grows. It is a touching, real life romance that doesn't sugarcoat their imperfections.
Words is a novelette that uses a progression of scenes over time to tell the story of a couple's relationship as it changes and grows. It is a touching, real life romance that doesn't sugarcoat their imperfections.
February 9, 2017
Short poignant story
Fahey has written a short story that espouses the life of two men by using vignettes of the couple over time. It's gritty, realistic, and reinforces the fragility of life and partnering.
Fahey has written a short story that espouses the life of two men by using vignettes of the couple over time. It's gritty, realistic, and reinforces the fragility of life and partnering.
August 19, 2015
I got this in exchange of an honest review, I loved it a lot great story characters event action and the end was charming
February 1, 2017
Thirty- six years they had been together, and now this is when they need each other the most, This is the story of Stanley, and Blake. A beautiful story, I loved it, sad, but sweet.
March 13, 2017
Not bad at all
For a short it certainly was short and sweet. A very good wee insight into a very much in the spot light illness
For a short it certainly was short and sweet. A very good wee insight into a very much in the spot light illness
March 2, 2018
a nice touching story of growing old together.
June 13, 2022
Words
This is the 2nd time reading this story and each time I fill up - it’s such a loving story. Great job 👏🏼 Mr. Fahey
This is the 2nd time reading this story and each time I fill up - it’s such a loving story. Great job 👏🏼 Mr. Fahey
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews