As soon as I received confirmation of work plans to visit Ottawa, I reached out to Kevin and Ben to let them know I was coming. They booked off their weekend.
After work on Friday, Ben picked me up at my hotel and drove me out to their townhouse in Orleans. During the pandemic, they moved from rental to purchase, and I'm was so excited to see their home. They have decorated it very tastefully in a mid-century modern style, with lovely complementary colours of blue and green. We got busy catching up, and it was lovely being welcomed into their home.
The day before, Kevin sent me the menu of the dinner he was planning. I'm so used to hosting, it was lovely to be a guest for once. I was touched.
I met Kevin around 2014. We recounted the events that led up to our meeting, and I remembered details of how I picked him up from the Hamilton GO Station and going for Vietnamese. I also took him for dinner at Rapscallion which he remembers fondly. There were frog legs on the menu, which he had never previously had, to which I responded, "and that's exactly why you should order them." He did. (Tonight, I apologized that I sometimes forget that not everyone has the same opportunities for experiences and perhaps I need to be a bit more empathetic.)
An award-winning writer and poet, Kevin immortalized his visit with me in the poem "Alexander Graham Bell" which is included in his book The Smaller Hours. As an English major myself, I recognize it as a great poem - one of his favourites, Kevin admitted - and I'm so chuffed.
By knowing Kevin, I've gained three more friends: Derek, Jordan, and of course, dear Ben. I met Ben at Kevin's book reading in Toronto when his book was released. They were married in 2019, and through the years he and I have become very good friends as well. He's incredibly sweet and loving to me and I deeply value our connection. We chat often.
I've witnessed them as younger men making their place in the world, loving each other and finding their community. I'm grateful to have them in my life and so very, very proud to witness their journey together. ♥️
