Adrian stood alone in a secluded park, the world around him hushed in the quiet embrace of winter. Tall trees, their branches bare and skeletal, stretched up into a gray sky that seemed to press down heavily, as if burdened with the weight of his grief. The air was cold, biting at his skin, but it did little to numb the hollow ache in his chest.

He had come here to escape the noise, the pretense of holiday cheer. The gifts he had carefully wrapped for his family felt like little more than a disguise, a futile attempt to conceal the truth that gnawed at him — that his time was running out. He could feel the weight of the illness in his bones, the slow, inevitable decline that he had learned to live with, even if he could not quite accept it. He had seen his boyfriend wither away from the same disease, and now it was his turn. The memory of his boyfriend’s death haunted him, a shadow that seemed to follow him wherever he went. The emptiness left by that loss was still fresh, a wound that would never truly heal.

He tried not to think of it, but it was impossible. His future felt like a door slowly closing, the cracks of light narrowing until all he would know was darkness. Adrian had not shared this with anyone — not his family, only his friend Carly who offered quiet sympathy but could never fully understand. No one could. The isolation was suffocating. It felt as though he were fading, becoming a ghost among the living.

As he stood there, staring out at the empty landscape, he couldn't help but feel like an intruder in a world that would soon move on without him. The tears, once held back, now flowed freely, streaking down his face, unnoticed by the few people who passed by in the distance. He mourned not only his own death but also the loss of the future he would never have, the love he would never get to fully embrace, the chance to live without fear.

Adrian Lester, young man in 1985. Angst.

#1985

Adrian Lester is the son of Dale and Eileen Lester. His father is strict and homophobic, while his mother is somewhat submissive to her husband and rarely speaks her mind. Both of them are devout Christians. Dale once saw Adrian with his boyfriend at Adrian's apartment, where he lives with other men, but he never confronted him about it.

Eileen deeply loves her son and suspects something is wrong, though she doesn't know exactly what.

Adrian visited his family for Christmas, knowing he would soon die from AIDS. He brought them gifts to cover his condition. He was very careful not to spill any blood, fearing he might transmit the virus. His younger brother, Andrew, is probably also closeted. Both brothers share a love for music. The family has a German Shepherd dog.

Though Adrian is , he had a Vietnamese girlfriend, Carly, when he was younger, and she became his best friend. They reconnected around Christmas, and she tried to rekindle their relationship. It was then that Adrian told her about his disease and sexual orientation. Adrian's boyfriend had died from AIDS before he visited his family.

Adrian's father is racist and he doesn't like Carly. He's an ex veteran (Vietam War).

Adrian works at an agency/publicity. He lost his job before coming back to visit his family because he was sick.