Remember My Name

Ivan and Jay were foster brothers in the same house, hiding from an abusive, alcoholic man who made fear a daily rule. Jay taught Ivan when to stay silent, when to disappear, and when to run. At night they hid in the barn and memorized facts about each other, such as names, birthdays, and scars, because they knew they could be separated at any moment. They vowed that wherever they were sent and however long it took, they would find each other again.

Ivan has spent seven years searching for the boy who taught him to survive. When he finally finds Jay, Jay is not the boy he remembered. He is broken in ways that do not heal cleanly, and he carries what was done to him as if it were carved into his bones. But Ivan made a promise and means to keep it.

Jay learned young that nothing stays, neither homes nor safety. After they were torn apart, he learned to numb his pain and told himself the boy he remembered was gone, because believing otherwise hurt too much. Now Ivan is back in his life, and Jay wants things he feels he does not deserve. Letting Ivan close means letting him see the damage Jay keeps buried, and Jay fears that once Ivan truly sees him, he will leave.

Remember My Name is a gay M/M hurt/comfort romance about found family, healing from trauma, recovery, and lasting love. Told from both Ivan's and Jay's points of view, it deals with childhood abuse and its aftermath.