er
e v
r ed
e someo
e ne
e wh
w o wo
w uldn’t have everyone he met cr
c i
r ngi
g ng.
g He
H
e rea
e l
a ly
y liked
e Robbie,
e mayb
y e
e more
r
e than
a liked
e him. Was
a
he
e sca
c r
a ed
e ? Go
G d, wa
w s
a he
e ev
e er
e .
r He
e co
c uld fal
a l fo
f r
r Robbie
e an
a d fa
f l
a l hard
r ,
but Robbie was going to leave. “I’
I m
’ so co
c nfu
f sed
e ,”
” he
e sai
a d to the
e ro
r om as
a he
e pushed
e aw
a ay
y
from the
e door.
r “W
“
hat
a must Robbie e be
e thinking?
g ”
” He
H
e ban
a ged
e his
hea
e d
a agai
a nst the
e door
r an
a d lef
e t
f it ther
e e
r .
e “I’
I m
’ such
c an idiot.”
” He
H
e fi
f nal
a ly
y
pushed
e aw
a a
w y
y an
a d began
a get
e ting
g rea
e d
a y
y fo
f r
r bed
e . He
H
e al
a most we w n
e t to
Robbie’
e s
’ ro
r om to try y to ex
e plai
a n, but
t he
e didn
d ’t
’ ev
e en
e hav
a e
e an
explanat a ion fo
f r
r himsel
e f,
f let
e al
a one
e fo
f r
r Robbie. e Climbing g bet
e wee
e n
e the
shee
e t
e s, he
e turn
r ed
e off
f
f the
e ligh
g t an
a d star
a e
r d
e at
a the
e ce
c iling,
g the
e ber
e a
r t
a ing
voice
c
e in his hea e d
a not let
e ting
g him slee e p
e .
Joey
y must hav
a e
e slep
e t a little
e bec
e a
c u
a se
e he
e wo
w ke to a
a stra
r n
a ge
g
e
sound in the house. Open e ing
g his bed
e ro
r om door,
r he
e notice
c d
e that
a
Robbie’
e s
’ wa
w s
a open
e as
a we
w l
e l. Ge
G o
e ff
f
f an
a d El
E i’s
’ door
r re
r m
e ai
a ned
e cl
c osed
e .
58
Love Means … NO Boundaries
Following the sound, he padded down the stairs and the sound, while still muffled, grew louder and appeared to be coming from Geoff’s office. Approaching the door, he could hear it clearly now.
It was Robbie’s violin.
The music was slow, almost mournful, and it reached into Joey’s gut and twisted. He knew what emotion Robbie was playing, because he’d felt the same thing. He could hear all the confusion and insecurity that Robbie must have felt when he left him so abruptly.
The playing stopped, and Joey stood still, not making a sound. Then it resumed, the long, low notes searing into Joey’s emotions. He could feel every bit of Robbie’s confusion and sadness in each note he played.
He stepped forward, standing right next to the door, and raised his hand to knock but stopped. The berating voice in his head started again, calling him a coward, and with a deep breath, he gently rapped on the door. “Robbie, it’s me.” He opened the door and saw Robbie standing in the office wearing only a pair of white briefs, holding the violin by its neck. As he turned to look at him, he saw on Robbie’s face all the emotion he’d heard in the music.
“I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“You didn’t. I haven’t slept.”
“That makes two of us.” Joey watched as Robbie placed the instrument back in its case. “Why’d you leave?”
“I…. It’s hard to explain.”
Robbie closed the case and picked it up by the handle and slowly walked to the doorway, standing toe to toe with Joey. “Do you want to try?” Joey nodded on reflex and whispered, “Okay.” Robbie didn’t move. “I’m staying here until you explain why you treated me that way.” 59
Andrew Grey
Joey tried to get his thoughts together so he could explain. “I-I know you can’t see me, but if you did, you wouldn’t want anything to do with me.” Joey felt like a coward.
“Not that again. What’s the real reason? What’s got you so scared?” For being blind, Robbie saw things pretty well. “I can hear it in your voice.”
“I guess I’m….” Joey tried to explain but stopped when he felt Robbie’s fingers on his face. They slid over his forehead and around his eyes, over his cheeks and along his jaw line. Everywhere they touched he could feel his skin come alive. The fingers wound through his hair and caressed his ears, making him giggle softly.
“Are you worried about these lines? They’re healing. I can feel how you flinch whenever I