In 1960, Pete gets a beer at his regular bar and is stunned to see that the guitarist playing that night is Bobby, with whom Pete was in love when they fought together in Europe during World War II. Pete seeks him out, and they immediately reconnect. Though they’ve been separated by years, it’s like no time has passed at all.

Unfortunately, Pete works at the State Department, and Bobby is an aid to a conservative Senator, and if anyone found out they’re together romantically, they could both be fired. It’s the height of the Lavender Scare, and the U.S. government believes homosexual employees are a threat to national security.

With so much on the line, Bobby gets involved in the nascent gay rights movement in D.C., which is planning to picket the White House. Pete thinks getting caught there is too much of a risk. But Pete has to confront an important question: is it worth it to him to keep the love of his life in the shadows, or should they both walk into the light?

“Lavender Love” is a short story originally published in the Loving Hearts anthology.

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