The string of cars pulled off the main road onto the dark dirt path. They parked haphazardly, as though this were a junkyard. We spilled out of the cars in a whirlwind of laughter and picked our way through the uneven ground. After a few steps, it was obvious to me that even without the influence of many celebratory shots, I would not have been able to navigate the ground in the backless three-inch shoes I was wearing.

John came gallantly to my rescue and gave me a piggyback ride to the tower's base. Once there, the boys, all still in their tuxes, began to climb the ladder straight up the side of the tower with twelve-packs of beer in their teeth.

As I reached the top, my breath caught in the back of my throat. I was staring out onto the lights of San Antonio, enveloped in the anonymity of kissing the sky. Everyone settled down in various parts of the tower and continued the lighthearted, happy banter of the evening.

"Jesus, Brandon should be here!"

"Um….I think he is very happy where he is at the moment!"

There was a pause as we all lost ourselves in various memories. I remembered long weekends in Austin, long nights with Brandon…talking, kissing, loving. I remembered the look on his face as he saw his beautiful bride begin her ascent down the aisle…the way my heart swelled for him…ached a little for me.

I looked up at the people around me and gave a silent thank you to Brandon for the opportunity to see these people who I hadn't seen in…years.