Senses 03 - Love Comes Home (DA) (MM) (22 page)

“Cool,” Skip said and hurried back inside. Greg followed while Tom put the sports car away. By the time Tom joined them, Skip was ready to go. Tom locked the house and drove them all to Howard’s.

Davey came out of the house and stood on the front stoop as they pulled up. “I knew it was your car,” he called. “Is Skippy with you?”

“I’m here, you monster,” Skip answered, to the sound of giggles. The two of them had somehow developed a thing.

“Uncle Howard is inside. Uncle Gordy is at the store,” Davey explained, and dang if he didn’t follow Skip inside, chattering the entire way.

“He certainly has found a friend,” Howard said.

“I never would have guessed Skip would be interested in kids,” Tom observed, watching them through the screen door.

“Sit down,” Howard said. “Can I get you anything to drink?”

“No, thanks,” Greg said.

“How did it go at the doctors? From your tone, I’m guessing not well.” Howard shifted in his chair, and Token stood up, yawned, and resettled at his feet. “What did they say?”

“That there’s hope, but the procedure is risky, possibly painful, and might not result in any change,” Greg said, and then he explained what Sanjay had proposed. Tom reached over and took his hand. “I don’t want to do it.”

“Then don’t,” Howard said.

“But what if it’s something that works and I’m taking away Davey’s chance to see again?” Greg asked.

Howard was quiet for a long time. “It might surprise you to know that if given the chance to see, I’d turn it down. I’m happy with my life and who I am. Being blind is a part of me, just as much as being gay is part of me. Being blind will become part of who Davey is as well. And it’s already happening. Right now Davey is outside with Skip, talking up a storm like any normal kid his age. He’s also adapting amazingly fast. Sure, he wants to see again, but I will tell you that every risk should not be accepted in order to allow that. What they’re proposing is invasive, potentially dangerous, and sounds borderline unethical. Being able to see is not worth Davey’s life and potential happiness, because as you can see and hear from outside, he’s perfectly capable of being happy as he is. And that’s what ultimately counts, along with having people in his life who support and care for him above everything else. And I’m not just talking about you, Greg.”

“Oh,” they said in unison.

“You sighted people can’t see what’s in front of your faces. I can hear how you feel about each other in your voices.”

Greg turned to Tom, and then they both began to laugh.

“I’m making an assumption here.” Howard shrugged. “Sue me if you want, though you won’t get anywhere against the blind guy, but saying the words only makes things better.”

Greg didn’t know what to say to that, so he kept quiet. Tom did the same, and soon they looked at each other and then at Howard before looking at each other again.

“For God’s sake, get a room, I can feel the tension between you two.” Howard stood up and took Token’s harness. “Let’s go out back. The fresh air will do us all good.”

They stood as well and waited for Howard to make his way out of the room before linking hands. “I’ve made up my mind,” Greg told Tom as they stepped outside.

“What did the doctor say?” Davey asked as soon as he heard their voices.

Greg had been wondering what he’d say to Davey and decided on a close version of the truth. “That there was a slight chance that you could see again.” He sat down with Tom in the next chair and gently tugged Davey to him. “The things they would have to do would require more risk than I’m willing to take.”

“But, Dad…,” Davey began.

“No. I’ll explain it all to you, I promise, but the procedure could be dangerous, and I won’t let anything take you away from me. I listened to them, and you might hate me for it, but I don’t think we should do it. Dr. Jerry wasn’t a fan of the idea either.” Greg hugged Davey to him. “I’m sorry if you’re disappointed in me, but I can’t risk losing you. I don’t care if you’re blind or anything else—you’re my son and I’ll be here for as long as you need me.”

“Oh,” Davey said softly.

“I know you’re disappointed, but I’m not. I love you just the way you are, and you never have to change for me.” His voice broke and he hugged Davey again.

“It’s okay, Dad. I already talked to Uncle Howard about stuff.” Davey patted his head, and Greg wasn’t sure if he should laugh or cry. “Uncle Skip said he was going home tomorrow, so can we play beep ball again before he leaves?”

“We can play whatever you want, if Uncle Skip is willing,” Greg said, looking at the others.

“Gordy will be home in an hour, and then we can all go to the park. It would do Token good to have some time to run, and you all can play.” Howard settled in the chair. “Davey, do you understand what your dad tried to tell you?”

“Yes. I’m always going to be blind, like you,” he said.

“Uh-huh, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything you want in life. It’s sometimes more difficult, and we have to work harder, but we can do anything we want.”

“I wanna be a professional baseball player,” Davey said, and Greg knew instantly he was being a brat.

“Well, maybe anything but that. But you could grow up to be a professional beep ball player if you wanted, or a musician, or a computer programmer like me. Gordy is always watching those cooking shows, and he said that a blind person like us won. We have extra talents because we can’t see. We hear better, smell and taste are sharper, and touch is more sensitive. All that will happen to you.”

“I know.”

“Well, what you don’t know is that it won’t take long before you forget what it’s like to see. You won’t need it anymore, and then when you grow up, you’ll meet someone special like Uncle Gordy or Tom who will love you for who you are.”

Davey laughed. “Uncle Howard, I like girls.” He paused for a split second. “And I’m going to marry Sophia someday,” he added in a whisper.

Howard chuckled, and Greg watched as he carefully pulled Davey into a hug. “I’d be happy to have you as a son-in-law, but you have to finish college first, okay?”

“Okay,” Davey agreed.

“And you know that I’m here, and so is your dad, if you want to talk about anything. A lot of people think of being blind as a disability, but I never have. In some ways it’s a gift, because we hear and truly feel the world rather than just see it. I knew I could do anything I set my mind to, and I took care of myself for a long time. You can do everything I or anyone else can—just remember that.”

Greg wondered why he hadn’t had Howard speak with Davey before. Heck, maybe they had talked together before and he hadn’t been aware of it. He realized how insulated they’d become since Davey lost his sight. They’d been caught up in the minutiae of daily living to the point that he hadn’t really explored any other resources beyond the beep baseball that Tom basically laid at his feet and the school where Davey went.

“I will,” Davey said and then fell into Howard’s arms.

Greg turned to Tom and smiled, relieved when he got a smile back and Tom moved closer. Everything was going to be all right.

“I said the worrying was worse than the reality.”

“Yeah, it worked out. Now I have to tell Joyce and Sanjay and hope they leave quietly. She can be stubborn as hell when she wants something,” Greg said.

“Give her a break. She just wants what she thinks is best for Davey,” Tom whispered.

Greg figured the sooner the better, so he pulled out his phone and recalled Joyce’s number before placing the call.

“What did you decide?” she asked, as abruptly as ever. “Sanjay said you didn’t seem convinced.”

“Then he was right. I’m not going to allow our son to undergo that kind of procedure. Davey is beginning to accept who he is, and I think that’s better for him. In the end, it’s too experimental and risky. I hope you understand, but I do appreciate you making the effort.”

“He’s my son,” she said softly. “I know I’ve been a shit mother, but I wanted to try to help him.”

“When do you have to go back?” Greg asked.

“Our flight is tomorrow morning. Sanjay has patients he needs to see, and I have appointments I need to make.”

“We’re going to the park to play ball in a few hours,” Greg said. He would probably regret making the offer, but in his heart he knew it was the right thing to do. “You’re welcome to join us. Tom’s friend Skip is leaving as well, so we’re all going out to play before he heads home.”

“Davey does love the game, doesn’t he?”

“He always did. I know it’s not the same as when he was playing Little League….”

“No. It’s better,” Joyce said. “He’s surrounded by people who care about him. He’s playing with friends and family.” He heard her sniff a little. “Yes, I’d like to come to the park.”

“Then I’ll call you when we’re getting ready to leave,” Greg said, and he hung up.

“Is Mom coming to the park? She won’t play, will she?” Davey asked.

“She might if you ask her,” Greg told him. He settled Davey next to him on the chair, and a little while later Gordy came home. He put away the groceries in the kitchen, and then everyone piled into the cars to head out to the park. Greg called Joyce, and once they got there, they set up the bases and got ready to play. When Joyce arrived, Greg watched as Davey nervously stepped toward her and waited.

“What is it?” she asked, and Greg stepped away, letting them talk privately. He glanced over every few seconds and saw Joyce pull Davey into a hug. Sanjay sat on the bleachers with Howard while the rest of them got ready to play, including Joyce, to Davey’s delight. It was nice to see Joyce and Davey spending some time together. Greg didn’t really trust her yet, but she was making an effort as far as Davey was concerned, and that went a long way for him.

“Can I hit now?” Davey asked after running the bases. They’d set up at one of the Little League fields not in use at the time, so Tom had put out all three bases—home, first, and third—and Davey, Joyce, Sophia, and Skip had been running between the beeping bases to get their bearings.

“Sure,” Greg answered. “Sophia, will you help him to home plate? And I’ll pitch.” He turned to Joyce and Skip. “Would you two field? That way we can make it more interesting. All you need to do is pick up the ball before Davey makes it to base,” he reminded them.

Tom got behind the plate, and Greg paced off the twenty feet to get in position to pitch. Gordy stood off to the side to watch and spot, and Sophia joined the others in the center of the field. Greg couldn’t help smiling at the three blindfolded players, and when he turned around to look at Tom, his smile brightened, especially when Tom smiled back. Howard had been right. He hadn’t seen it, but he should have. Tom’s feelings were written all over his face. He stood there for a few seconds.

“Dad, are you ready or just standing there making goo-goo eyes at Tom?” Davey got into position with a little coaching from Tom and raised the bat, all set for the ball.

“Ready… pitch,” Greg said and released the ball. It sailed over the plate, beeping as it moved. Davey swung and connected, and the ball sailed toward the outfield. It was a beautiful hit. Davey dropped the bat and took off for first base. He touched it and ran full-bore for third.

“I got it,” Joyce cried, and it was only then that Greg realized he’d been yelling at the top of his lungs for Davey to go. They all had. Gordy, Tom, all the players and spectators who could see had screamed their heads off. Davey jumped up and down at the base, his excitement too much to contain.

“That was some hit,” a familiar voice said. Greg looked over and saw Peter Crawford, one of the Little League coaches, walking across the grass toward them. “I’d love to have a slugger like that on the Tigers. Are you sure he can’t see?”

Davey walked over, following their voices, and when he got close, Greg took his hand to guide him the rest of the way.

“That’s the beauty of this game—you don’t need to see.”

“Have you found another team to play?” Peter asked.

“No. There isn’t another in the area, and we aren’t really a team anyway. This is just for fun.”

“Well, if you want to play a game, we’ll play you. The boys need to learn to rely on more than just what they see. Even regular baseball is more than just keeping your eye on the ball.”

“Are you serious? I can tell you, this has a very different feel,” Greg said.

“I know. But I think it will make them better players, and if the yelling, screaming, and laughter I keep hearing from over here is any indication, it seems like a lot of fun.”

“Your players are welcome to join us anytime. We could have some games if we had enough players, and I think it would be amazing.” Greg gave Peter his contact information. “Let’s talk about how you’d like to do this.” They shook hands, and Greg returned to his spot. “Okay, everyone, back into position.”

They played for the next hour, with everyone taking turns hitting, or trying to hit, running, and fielding. There were falls and bumps, but they had an amazing time. When they were done, everyone was covered in grass stains, and though there were a few scrapes and bruises, smiles graced every face, especially Greg’s, as he helped Tom pack up the equipment.

“I wish you and Davey could come home with me, but this is Skip’s last night, and… I miss you. We were together that one time, and it seems like everything is conspiring against us.”

“I have a lot of work to do tomorrow, but we can come over in the evening if you like, or you can come to our house. Davey is more comfortable there, and there will be many fewer issues with him getting around.”

“Okay.” Tom leaned closer. “I’ll see you then.” Tom winked, and a small surge of excitement coursed through Greg. They finished loading up the equipment, then everyone said their good-byes. Davey ended up hugging everyone at least twice, including his mother, and Greg thought he was going to have to pry Davey away from Skip.

“I’ll be back again, I promise,” Skip told Davey, and only then did Davey release him.

Greg guided Davey to the car and they piled in. Tom dropped them off at the house, and Greg wished Tom could have stayed. He stood outside and waved, watching until Tom drove away before going inside and making sure Davey got ready for bed. Then he worked for a few hours on a design that wouldn’t leave his head before going to bed himself.