Nineteen-year-old Baran Arslan gets a shocking Christmas present from his father. When Turkish businessman Marat Arslan discovers his son is gay, he flies him from Istanbul to New York City for the holiday - and abandons him. Cut off from access to his family and any funds Baran must figure out how to survive. Fortunately, he speaks English and soon meets a young man who directs him to Rainbow Haven, a homeless shelter for gay young men.

Daddy needs me now more than ever and I’m gonna be there for him just like he’s always been for me. Darn the rules, we’re a family, and that matters most.

What’s a loyal son worth? Jasha Kozlov is apparently worth two hundred thousand dollars, both to his father, who is deeply in debt to ruthless businessman Kaleb Bronson and to Bronson himself. When Valentin Kozlov can’t come up with the cash to pay his debt to real estate magnate Kaleb Bronson, Kaleb offers to accept Jasha in lieu of the cash. Jasha is stunned but agrees to the deal in order to save his father’s life.

Eternity is too long to go without getting any. Companionship these days is easier to get, thanks to the internet. Hookups, too, thanks to the mini-computers everyone carries around in their pockets to talk to each other. Want a quickie? Just open your chosen app and slide right. What’s harder is getting someone you can genuinely connect to, not only through a screen but in person.

I was a huge fan of fairytales and adventure stories with high fantasy settings. It was why once I had a few spare bucks a month, I subscribed to Fairytale Friends and began collecting their figurines and stuffed animals. When I found myself invited to a special picnic event the company was throwing, travel included for free, I jumped at the chance, even though I was positive it would be mostly kids with their parents. Boy, was I ever wrong.