Love Means No Boundaries - Andrew Grey

felt Joey settle on the seat next to him as the car started and blessedly cool air began pumping from the car vents.
     
“I thought I’d drive you through town and let Joey see the historic district; then I thought we could take a cruise on the Natchez riverboat.” Arie loved playing tour guide, and Robbie felt Joey vibrating with excitement.
    For the next hour, they drove through town, Arie narrating the sites, explaining the history of the town and some of the homes, with Joey bouncing on the seat next to him like a kid. Robbie was so glad he’d come. Joey’s excitement was catching, and even though he couldn’t see any of what was being discussed, he could feel it through Joey. “When does the steamboat leave?” Joey asked as Robbie felt a hand slide in his.
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“About forty-five minutes. I called ahead for reservations.”
“Super!” Joey sounded about to burst, and Robbie laughed with sheer reflected happiness.
    The car eventually stopped. His door opened, and he felt Joey take his hand and guide him outside. The parking lot was filled with people, and Robbie heard snippets of conversation as people passed by. He felt Joey take one arm and Arie take the other. Carefully, they walked toward the boat, the scent of the water growing as they approached. “Welcome aboard!!”
    Robbie felt the boat rocking slightly as he stepped off the shifting ramp and onto the deck of the boat.
“This is great!” Joey exclaimed from next to him.
“If you get any more excited, you’re going to explode.” Robbie smiled in what he hoped was Joey’s general direction and was rewarded with a slight hug, and he felt Joey sit next to him.
     
“Why don’t you look around? I’ll sit here with Robbie,” Arie offered, to Robbie’s relief. He knew he was just along for the ride and that Joey would stick next to him if he wasn’t encouraged to have fun and see things.
    “Okay.” A loud whistle signaled their departure. “I won’t be long.”
Robbie touched Joey’s hand. He hoped it was Joey’s hand.
“Take your time and have fun.” Robbie heard the whomp, whomp, whomp, of the paddles hitting the water and the creak of the drive shafts as they turned the wheel.
     
Arie helped him up, and they walked gingerly along the deck, a steady stream of instruction whispered in his ear. He felt them pass inside and the coolness welcomed them as Arie found them a table.
    “Would you like a drink?” He heard what he presumed was a waiter. Arie ordered a beer, but Robbie wasn’t thirsty.
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“Can I ask you something?” Arie’s voice displayed his concern.
“You can ask anything, Arie.” He put his hand over his mouth and snickered. “Well, almost anything.” He heard Arie groan softly. “I can tell you like having him here, and I know you missed him.” Robbie found himself nodding his agreement. “Have you given any thought to what you want to do?” “Do, about what?”
     
“Robbie, think about it. Joey’s going to go home in a few days, and you’re going to feel just as bad as you did when we left Michigan, maybe worse.” Robbie said nothing and Arie continued.
     
“You were miserable for the entire trip home, and I’ve got to tell you that even Adelle got tired of that funeral music you played for almost two weeks.” Arie’s mock anger almost made him smile…
     
almost. “I think Joey calling and asking if he could come for a visit was the only thing that really snapped you out of it.” Arie’s whisper shouting went straight to his spine.
    “What should I do?” His head was swimming, and he suddenly felt like he was going to be sick.
“You need to prepare for it and accept it. Enjoy it while he’s here, but you’ll need to let him go.”
Robbie swallowed and heard a glass being set on the table, and he suddenly wished he’d ordered something. His mouth was suddenly so dry. “I’m sorry. We shouldn’t have had this conversation here, but I didn’t know when I’d be able to get you alone again.”
“It’s okay, Arie. You didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know, I guess.” But the fun he’d been having had definitely drifted away. What was he going to do? He knew one thing—he never 163
     
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    wanted to feel that miserably lost again. There were so many things he wanted to ask Arie, but he heard footsteps, and then the chair next to him moved and Joey’s scent filled his nose as a hand snuck into his beneath the