“Turkey, cream cheese, bean sprouts, and raspberry preserves on wheat. See what you think,” I said as I placed the plate on the table in front of Trent.

As I sat down beside him, he glanced down at the plate, slid it to the side, and pushed his wheelchair away from the table.

“What’s on your mind, Rain?” he asked.

I wrinkled my nose slightly as if to throw him off, “Oh, nothing really. Why do you ask?”

He shook his head and began to laugh.

“Well, you’ve been coming here four times a day looking after me for well over a month. Today you seem preoccupied, for one. Additionally, you look like you haven’t slept in a few days, and lastly, your shirt is on backwards. I just figured you had something on your mind, and it was important enough you forfeited last night’s sleep as a result,” he said.

I pushed myself away from the table, stood, and stared down at my shirt.

“Backwards?”

He nodded his head and pointed at me, “It’s hard to tell, because the neck’s so worn, but the little brown stain is normally in the left front, and today it’s in the right rear. So either you’ve worn it backward the other fifteen or so times you’ve worn it, or it’s backward today.”

“Oh. Gothca,” I sighed as I lowered myself into the chair.

He wheeled his chair up to the edge of the table and stared blankly at the sandwich. After a long pause, he turned toward me and smiled.

“So, want to talk?” he asked.

“I tell you what,” I responded, “Eat half the sandwich and we’ll talk.”

“Deal,” he said as he reached for the sandwich.

After he gobbled down half of the sandwich and wiped the corners of his mouth, he slid it to the side and grinned.

“Wow, that’s a mighty fine sandwich,” he said.

“Thank you,” I responded.

“So. Spill it,” he said as he pressed his hands into the edge of the table, “But make it quick, I want to eat that other half before the bread gets stale.”

“Well, eat it now,” I said as I waved my hand toward the sandwich.

“Nope. After you spill your guts,’ he said.

I inhaled, glanced up at the ceiling, and exhaled as I shifted my eyes toward Trent.

“Do you think it’s possible to love two people at the same time?” I asked.

“Interesting. I’m guessing you don’t mean family or friends. You’re speaking of love interests? Men? Mates?” he asked as he pushed his chair closer to the table and rubbed his hands together.

“Settle down, Trent,” I chuckled, “And to answer your question, yes.”

“I’m as calm as can be. I like this talk already. Let’s see,” he sighed.

I waited for him to continue, anxious to see what he might be able to share with me. Anything, I thought, which might make me feel better, or possibly view the situation in a different light would be worth hearing. After an extended length of silence, and me watching Trent as his brain was churning for the right response, he spoke.

“To think for one minute the human mind or the human heart has the ability to love multiple family members, and not have the capacity to feel love for multiple people, in my opinion, is to think foolishly,” he said.

“We love family, friends, animals, thoughts, phrases, places, theories…” he hesitated and shook his head.

“We love none of them any more or less than the other. Love, in my heart, is love. We tell ourselves it’s different when we think we’ve met the one. Nonetheless, it’s simply love, and we reserve hope by telling ourselves the love is special or more abundant than our previous or current loves. Me? I say bullshit,” he sighed.

“Rain, we often act on what we think. In doing so, we inevitably make mistakes. Acting on what we feel, however, leaves no room for mistakes because feelings are the one thing our mind possesses which will always be genuine. Although our actions may lead us to feel regret, to regret possessing a feeling is to be sorry for having felt emotion. In my opinion, nothing could be more foolish,” he paused and shook his head slightly.

“Now, if I may ask, do you feel love for these two men you speak of?” he asked as he raised his hand to his face.

I nodded my head as I considered what he had said.

“Well, if we can agree your feelings are genuine, and I suspect you’ll agree they are,” he hesitated and lowered his hand slightly.

I nodded my head, “I do, I agree, it’s genuine.”

“Very well. Now, I suspect you’re either trying to decide which one deserves your love, or which man you love more,” he said as he lowered his hand into his lap.

I shrugged my shoulders and raised my eyebrows slightly, wondering what it was exactly I was trying to do.

“I suppose so, I don’t really know,” I said.

He rested his elbows on the table and clasped his hands together, “Okay let’s try a different angle. If you were able to choose, let’s say to paint a picture only you were able to see, what would that picture include?”

“Paint a picture about them and what I feel. Like choose a future?” I asked.

He nodded his head as his mouth formed a smile, “Yes.”

It didn’t take much thought. After a short pause to make him think I was considering my response, I responded with what I had previously decided I wanted.

“To have them both,” I said sheepishly.

“Without each of them having knowledge of the other?” he asked.

I shook my head.

“No, together. The three of us,” I responded.

“I love it,” he exclaimed as he clapped his hands together.

I sat up in my seat and smiled.

“Really?” I asked excitedly.

“Absolutely,” he said as he raised both hands to his face, “Unconventional, but oh so lovely. To have something like that and have it work out would be to truly succeed at living life. Without a doubt, it would take three people who loved each other. Independently, and I would imagine, together. Yes, I think this could work in the most capable of hands.”

“I’m very capable,” I said.

“I have no doubts regarding your capacities, dear. The men, on the other hand, are my concern,” he said as he reached for the sandwich.

I rubbed my temples with my hands and stared mindlessly at the wall.

“What are you thinking?” he asked as he bit into the corner of the sandwich.

I tilted my head in his direction, lowered my hands into my lap, and sighed.

“I love them both. I think I’m going to tell them and see what they say,” I responded.

“My advice is this. Tread lightly and proceed with a willingness to listen, speak, and listen a lot more,” he said as he took another bite of the sandwich.

“Okay,” I breathed.

“I’ll say this,” he said as he finished his sandwich.

“If you care for them as well as you care for me, this just might work.”

“Thank you,” I said as I stood.

I walked around the table, leaned over, and kissed his cheek.

“Now go,” he said as he reached up and hugged me, “Tell them how you feel. And remember, use patience and listen more than you speak.”

The thought of telling Ethan and Cade how I felt excited me and made me feel ill at the same time. To have them both in my life, in any respect or manner, would make me feel as if I was the richest girl in the world. To lose either of them or potentially lose them both would make being homeless seem like a blessing.

“Okay,” I responded, “Do you need anything else before I go?”

He shook his head, “You’ve given me all I need for the day, Rain.”

“You don’t need me to come back tonight?” I asked.

“I need you to get some sleep,” he responded.

“Trent,” I said as I walked to the door.

“Yes,” he responded.

Extremely tired from my lack of sleep, I hesitated, trying to think of a way to thank him for what he had done. I felt so much better after hearing what he had to say, but I felt I needed some time to digest it all. Having Trent in my life was a blessing in itself. As I stood and contemplated what to say, he broke the silence.