Love him or hate him, there's only one Jamie Wyzacki, the dramatic, insecure painter who desperately loves his policeman husband. Now you can hear what life is like from Jamie's point of view. He struggles as Max pulls away from him, working longer hours and dealing with his father's illness. Is Jamie still a basket case? Yes, he is…but he won't give up on the man he loves, no matter what.

Jamie is the most insecure man in the world. But knowing it—and knowing his husband Max truly loves him—doesn't always fix everything. Especially when Max starts withdrawing emotionally and working longer hours than ever. His reasons may be good—and may not be—but his absence is tearing the still-fragile Jamie apart. Jamie, with his tendency to be a basket case and his own worst critic, is completely unprepared to deal with being the strong one.

It starts innocently enough—Jamie overhears his father-in-law make a slighting comment about him…and Max is utterly silent in reply. That's enough to jump-start Jamie's insecurities. Add in Max's newly overloaded schedule and distracted state over his father's poor health, and pretty soon Jamie is as big a mess as he ever was. Insecurities dog him, and so do past issues. He can't sleep without getting nightmares when Max isn't there. And so often, Max isn't there. He is withdrawing emotionally because of his father—and more, because of Jamie's inability to be completely open with him.

Every marriage has rough spots. Jamie and Max's is no exception. Through it all, Jamie tries to make the best of his world and get over his vulnerabilities. And then life throws them another curveball…
 

Length: 64,000 words

Heat level: Low