Returning back to the apartment, Molly sullenly walked into her bedroom and closed the door. Immediately, the sounds of her CD player wash over the complex. Justin walks into the master bedroom and slowly strips out of his clothing before lying on the bed. “You okay?” Brian asks, leaning against the door frame. Closing his eyes, Justin doesn’t answer him. “What are you thinking about?” He tries again. “Why are you talking?” Justin mumbles. “Pardon?” “You never liked talking before. Why are you talking so much now?” Stepping into the bedroom, Brian closes the door behind him. “Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do?” Justin frowns, his eyes still closed. “Talk to me.” “No.” Sitting down, Brian uses his fingers tips to lightly trace patterns on his husband’s smooth back. “What were you expecting Carl to say?” “I don’t know.” “No?” “Nope.” “Justin…” Sighing, Justin turns his face away from his partner. “I didn’t want to know. Denial was a nice place to be in for awhile.” “And now?” “Now…” Justin slowly opens his eyes. “Now I feel numb.” Leaning down, Brian softly kisses the nape of his lover’s neck. “Tell me.” “When I didn’t know, I still had hope. I could tell myself that One Day we’d go back to Pittsburgh and everything would be fine…” closing his eyes, he exhales slowly, “But I was lying to myself. Nothing will be fine. Nothing is ever going to be fine... and the more I think about it, the more stupid it seems to ever have hoped we could go back to Pittsburgh.” “It’s not stupid, Justin. You and Molly will go back one day.” “When?” Justin asks bitterly. “It was bad enough when I didn’t want to go back; and now when I start thinking that if I work really, really hard and push myself as hard as I can…that if I can just get over all the baggage… that we could spend Christmas in Pittsburgh… start over on Christmas Day back in Pittsburgh…and now…” “It might still happen, Justin.” “Stop trying to sell me that bull shit!” Justin argues. Sitting up, he holds his head in his hands. “Shit, I’m drunk, aren’t I?” The room continues to spin. “Lie back down,” Brian demands softly, gently pushing his husband onto his back. “We’re never going back. Molly and I are stuck here… you’re going to leave us, I know it.” He mumbles softly to himself. “What are you talking about?” Brian asks. “Your life is in Pittsburgh!” Trying to sit up, he falls back down again. “Everybody you love is in Pittsburgh.” “Not you.” “I’m dead, Brian…” closing his eyes, he slowly drifts to sleep, murmuring again, “Justin is dead…”