Dear Author, He means the world to me, always has and always will. Leaving him was the biggest mistake I ever made but I got so caught up in my own dreams of glory, desperate to make it as a pro boxer [can swap for another sport if you’d prefer]. I knew that staying in such a small town would put an end to my dreams. I never asked him to come with me; I knew he’d say no. Not because he didn’t love me but because his parents were struggling and they needed him to stay close. I couldn’t ask him to abandon his family for me. So I broke his heart—and my own—by leaving town and walking away from the only man I’ve ever loved. It’s been five years since I left and I’ve finally returned. It’s the eve of his twenty-seventh birthday and my heart is pounding in my chest as I knock on his front door. He still lives in our home town but he’s got his own place now. An old friend told me that he’s living on his own and that he keeps himself to himself. I feel sick with nerves but I had to come back. I know I’m something of a celebrity now, but my dreams of success have long since lost their shine. Please say he’ll give me another chance and that he’ll forgive me for walking away. I need him to know how much I still love him and that I never stopped loving him. I don’t want to spend another day without him in my life, in my arms, in my bed… Photo Description: A naked man sitting on the concrete base of a fenced area with another naked man standing between his legs. Several boulders are on the background marking the river’s edge with a bridge alongside. They both could be considered bears and have several tattoos. They are embracing each other just before a kiss. This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love’s Landscapes" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story. This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.