sentences:  After the death of his father, Michael's conservative mother Alice has also begun contacting him frequently, developing a close relationship with Thack.Michael, however, resents the way she ignored his deceased lover Jon up until his death from AIDS, and her lack of true validation of his life in San Francisco.Thack urges Michael to become involved in the gay political movement, especially ACT-UP, though Michael prefers to focus on what time he has left.