figured after this kind of end to their date…. Tom didn’t speak much on the drive. He pulled into the driveway and hurried around to help them out of the backseat.
“Thank you for everything,” Greg said formally. From Tom’s silence and discomfort, Greg didn’t think he would be hearing from him again. They might have gotten along well, but this didn’t bode well for any future relationship.
“Do you need some help?”
“No. We’ll be fine. I’m going to get him inside and up to bed. I have an idea that tomorrow is going to be very hectic.”
“We’ll talk soon, then,” Tom said.
“Sure,” Greg answered and then turned, guiding Davey toward the house. He heard Tom pull away, his headlights panning across the yard. He barely had the time or energy to think that was probably the last time he’d ever see him.
Greg got them inside and helped Davey up the stairs to his room. Everything took longer, and once he had Davey in his pajamas, he got his teeth brushed and then in bed. He sat with Davey and talked to him softly until he fell asleep. Then Greg went to his own room and got ready for bed. Not that he expected to be able to sleep very much. He was worried about Davey, even though he already knew the answers. All the possibilities ran through his head over and over. In the early morning hours, when he was still staring at the ceiling, he began to wonder about Tom and realized he was going to miss him. Greg had really liked him, but guys willing to step into a family like his were hard to come by, let alone guys who were willing to be a part of a family with a blind child. No matter what Tom might have said, that was a lot to expect, and Greg had heard enough in Tom’s voice. The date had gone well and they’d hit it off, but the end of the evening had most likely signaled the end of that possible relationship.
Chapter 4
F OR MORE than a week, Tom wondered if things were all right with Greg and Davey. He’d tried calling, but didn’t get an answer. He knew he should probably have left a message, but if they were busy, he didn’t want to butt in. He also figured if Greg was too busy and didn’t want to speak to him right now, he wasn’t going to intrude. So as he pulled up to Ken and Patrick’s, he hoped to get the skinny on what was happening.
Tom headed up the walk and rang the doorbell. He’d said he’d probably drop by, but they hadn’t set a definite time. The door opened.
“Come on in,” Ken said, motioning him inside. Tom stepped into the living room and saw Howard and Gordy sitting on Ken’s sofa, with Patrick in one of the chairs. They all stood, and he shook hands with each of them. “You remember Howard and Gordy from the party.”
“Of course,” Tom said, taking the offered chair. “I was wondering if you knew how Davey was doing.”
Ken looked surprised. “You haven’t heard?”
Tom shook his head. “I tried calling but got no answer, and I didn’t want to intrude. I suspect things are tough right now.”
“His sight is largely gone and there isn’t anything that can be done,” Ken said. “He can see some light sometimes, but basically he’s blind now.”
“They’ve been by to talk to me once, and I think they’re both trying to figure out how to get on with life. But that takes time, which they haven’t had yet. Greg is talking about getting Davey a dog like Token, but I doubt they’ll consider him at this stage. He needs to figure out how to do basic things without his sight before they’ll place him with a service dog. But it’s great to see the support Greg is giving Davey.” Howard reached down and lightly touched his dog’s head before standing up. “We should probably go so you can talk.”
“Please don’t go on my account.” Tom cleared his throat. “This was a rather fortunate turn of events, because part of what I wanted to talk to Ken and Patrick about was how to get in touch with you.”
“Me?” he asked, lowering himself
Learning to Kill: Stories