Steve comes home from work to find Adam sulking on the love seat, staring at the ceiling. The holidays always get Adam down....unlike Steve, the poor boy hasn't been able to get over his family's rejection of him because of his homosexuality. When Steve left Cleveland to go to UCLA, he had final words with his father, words that ended any contact between himself & his family. It was painful at first, but time & Steve's own sense that he was living the only life he had ever been meant to live, had healed his wounds & he never thinks of the past. Adam comes from a much closer knit family than Steve's, and he still can't get through the end of the year holiday season without being a little miserable.

Steve holds Adam & reminds him about the great life they have together, happy, loving & prosperous. "My practice is doing great & you'll never have to worry about money...and your career is looking up too....you've got that theater party coming up..." Steve coaxes him gently, but this only seems to make Adam more miserable. Adam's 'holiday' depression does seem much worse than usual this year & Steve is becoming concerned.

"C'mon, Honey, I'll get out of these scrubs & we'll go out for dinner," Steve says & kisses Adam, hoping a romantic night out will help cheer his lover up.

But Adam is uncharacteristically quiet at dinner.

Since dinner didn't do the trick, Steve tries taking Adam shopping. Adam tries on the suit Steve chooses, but he isn't as enthusiastic as he usually is about getting new clothes. He poses in the mirror, but he seems like his mind is a million miles away, somewhere Steve cannot reach, and this infuriates him.

Steve hasn't done anything like this in years, and it really isn't the kind of thing he normally approves of, but he's become desperate in his attempt to regain Adam's attention & make him happy again. Though Adam responds with passion at first, on the drive home Adam is close to tears & trying to hide it. Steve is crushed...what is going on?

NEXT