'i really like it here'
"So you couldn't even guess?" Troye asked while sipping on his coffee as did I.
"No! I had no clue," I said honestly while Troye laughed.
"So Jacob, what brings you here to New York?" he asked, seeming genuinely interested.
"I'm here for school."
"Oh, what you majoring in?" he seemed so intrigued and it made me smile at his childlike curiosity.
"Oh literature," I said, sort of relieved he could not see how I stared so admirably at his face, he was honestly just so beautiful.
"I'm also doing literature," he said with a chuckle.
"Oh nice, what else do you like to do?"
"Well I love music but I uh...I sort of gave up on it being a public thing after I lost my eyesight, it's more like something I do personally" my heart swelled, there was no way I could have missed that grave expression on his face.
"What do you play?"
"Well the keyboard and I sing but I'm not that great, I enjoy it though and that's all that matter with hobbies yeah?"
"Yeah I guess but I'm going to get you to play and sing for me sometime though," he chuckled while saying a soft 'good luck with that' under his breath.
We spoke a bit more about where we from and a bit of our childhoods. He spoke a lot about his family and his face lit up while he spoke about all the crazy stories back in Aus with his parents and three siblings.
He didn't tell me how he lost his eyesight though, I didn't feel like it was my place to ask nor did he want to talk about it which I could clearly sense.
.......
After our breakfast we had another cup of coffee each just because we had so much to say. Bruno lying by Troye's side the whole time patiently.
I don't think I have ever gotten along with someone so well before. We exchanged numbers, he explaining to me that texting was indeed possible. I don't know how many times I asked a dumb question about things I think I should really know. He told me my naiveté was understandable and that it was fine but it still frustrated me about how little I really knew.
We parted our separate ways, me of course watching him for a while before he fell out of my sight between all the people out on the sidewalk.
I decided to go exploring for a while, finding a small furnishing and décor store in the process and buying a lot of stuff that I potentially will never need or that has very little use to me, but at least the place would look nice.
.......
"Hey my boy how are you?" my mother's voice beamed from the other side of the line.
"Really good, I really like it here," I said honestly.
"That's really good, any friends?" she asked, I would be a moron if I missed how hopeful she sounded. My mother always had known that I was never one to make friends as I was both never good at it nor did I feel like giving up my own space really.
"Actually yeah, I think I have," I didn't miss the subtle sigh of relief.
"Oh you have? What's their name?" she asked excitedly while I lay on my back on my bed.
"His name is Troye, he is so nice and I don't think I have ever had such good conversations with someone in my life besides you of course."
"Oh Jacob that is so good to hear love, what's he like?"
"He is great, he is so interesting mom and I swear he is like a wise old man stuck in a teenager's body. He knows so much and he is so smart," I tried so hard to stop myself from rambling. "He lives across the hallway from me and how we met is kind of funny actually," I could basically hear her smiling.
"Oh do tell," I rolled my eyes playfully at how excited she sounded and how I think she just stopped doing the dishes to sit down and talk to me about it.
"He has this dog, Bruno, and last night he came to my door and started scratching while Troye rushed out his apartment to come get him and try to drag him away. But he is a Labrador so he is quite big; he did the same thing this morning and then I just asked Troye if we wanted to join me for breakfast."
"That's so cute. So it took a dog for you to socialize with someone besides me," she said playfully while I chuckled.
"Yeah maybe, I guess it did," I said chuckling as well.
"But wait, how is Troye allowed to have a dog in the building? Last time I read the documents you aren't allowed to have one."
"Bruno is Troye's guide dog," I said, totally forgetting Troye's disability in the process, which proves how little it really mattered to me.
"Oh wow and he manages perfectly well?"
"Yeah it's actually amazing mom. He hides it so well too. He only told me this morning I didn't even notice. He touches every surface in his home, when he recognises what it is he knows where to walk. On the street Bruno leads him and stops, slows down, and goes faster exactly when Troye is supposed to. I didn't have to say a thing."
"That is amazing, wow. He sounds like someone I want to meet."
"Yeah he is such a great person."
"You also speak so fondly of him," I couldn't help but hear the lilt in her voice, she was thinking something. "You have never done that since that boy you had a crush on in your freshman year," I groaned.
"Ugh mom stop it seriously," I felt the blush spreading across my face.
"All you need to tell me is that he is good looking too then it's settled."
"Mom, shut up."
"Aha! You did not deny it Jacob Taylor!" I couldn't be annoyed with her; she always knew everything there was no point in arguing.
"Okay, okay maybe I think he is attractive and a great person and all but calm down mom I'm not head over heels for him," she made a 'mhm' sound.
"Yet."
