Blinded in Chains

The group stayed in Louisiana for another two weeks before they packed up their things. "Where am I going, Brian," Lilia asked as she packed her suitcase. She hadn't wanted to bring it up, thinking he would mention it, but he hadn't.

"What," he asked, glancing back at her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean just that. Where am I going? Am I going with you or am I going back to New York?"

Brian's brows drew together in confusion. "Doll, I said you could live with me, didn't I?"

"Well, yes, but I thought you meant for as long as it took until we got here."

Brian shook his head. "No. I mean it. I want you to stay with me."

"Well, what about my apartment?"

Brian tossed his jacket into the suitcase as he faced Lilia. "Doll, I made reservations for four tickets to New York. Two for Alice and Johnny and two for me and you. I'm coming with you to help you pack up your apartment."

A smile spread across Lilia's face. "Really?"

"Yes, really." Brian wrapped his arms around his girlfriend and pulled her close, dropping his lips to hers. "I love you."

Lilia smiled widely. Her heart melted every time he said it. "I love you too." Another shared kiss and the two resumed their packing.

At the airport, Johnny, Alice, Brian, Lilia and Lilia's parents waved as the others boarded the plane for LA. Their plane was boarding, so Lilia said goodbye to her parents.

"Now, you make sure you call us, okay?"

"I always do, Mama. I'll call. I promise."

Lilia hugged both of her parents and Brian hugged Anna before shaking Jason's hand. "Thank you for letting us stay. We appreciate it. I know we're not easy to live with."

"Nonsense. You come back any time you want to," Anna smiled and Jason nodded in agreement.

"Take care of my little girl, Brian," he added.

Brian smiled, glancing at the girl to his left. "Always."

Their plane number was called and Lilia gave both of her parents one last hug before the group headed for the gate.

During the plane ride to New York, Lilia slept most of the way, Pinkly resting on her lap. Once or twice, she woke up to use the bathroom and eat and would stay up for an hour or so before falling back asleep.

They landed in New York around three that morning and when they arrived at the apartment, immediately went to bed to nap.

Brian woke around 11 to an empty bed.

Standing, he walked to the bathroom to use it and then stepped out of the bedroom. Lilia was seated at the table, talking on her phone. "Alright, Elise. I'll talk to you later and I'll be by the school to get my things later today. Okay. Love you too. Bye." She hung up and sighed, running her hand through her hair and then noticed he was standing there. "Hey babe. Hungry?"

"I could eat," Brian replied and Lilia nodded, standing and walking to the fridge.

"How do you feel about eggs?"

"Whatever, doll. You don't have to cook for me."

"I want to," she answered, getting the carton of eggs out. "Mama was teaching me how to make stuff while we were down there."

Brian took a seat at her kitchen table. "So who's Elise, if you don't mind my asking."

"She runs the school I went to when I was a kid for blind children. I volunteer there."

"That's cool."

Lilia nodded. "She's also my godmother. She wants to meet you, so I was going to ask if you'd like to come to the school when I get my stuff."

"Yeah. That sounds cool," Brian answered.

After their light breakfast, both dressed and they headed down to get a taxi. The cold December air nipped at her skin as Brian hailed one down and they got in. Lilia gave the cabbie the school's address and during the whole ride, the couple held hands, comfortably silent.

When they arrived at the school, Lilia paid the cabbie, much to Brian's discontent, and then led him inside the huge building. "All the kids'll be in lunch, so we shouldn't be interrupted," she spoke softly.

She led Brian to a room on the first floor and knocked. "Come in."

Lilia then opened the door to reveal an office. Sitting behind the desk was a woman in her late 70's with silver hair neatly pulled back into a bun. She immediately smiled, though Brian could tell she was blind. "Lilia. It's so good to see you, dear," she said, standing to walk around the desk and hug the young girl.

"It's so good to see you too. Sorry about my taking off."

"That's quite alright. Did you get the surgery?"

"Uh huh. I can't see completely, but it's still so exciting," Lilia gushed. Turning toward Brian, she said, "Madrina, I'd like you to meet Brian. Brian, this is Elsie."

"Hi," Brian said, shaking her hand. "Do I call you Madrina or Elsie?"

Lilia and Elsie both laughed. "Madrina is godmother in Italian. You call her Elsie."

"Oh," Brian chuckled, feeling embarrassed.

A bell rang and then the hall outside the room began to bustle. "Your class has been wanting to see you again. They know you're leaving and they have something they want to give you."

Lilia nodded. "Alright. Let's go see them. Come on, babe," she said. Elsie followed as Lilia led Brian by the hand to a room in the back. She knocked softly and found one of the other volunteers, Brenda, sitting at the desk. "Hey," she said softly.

"Hey," Brenda grinned. "Come on in. The kids should begin arriving any minute."

Lilia came in to start getting her things ready so she could grab them when they left.

Finally, the kids began to come in and sit in their desks. Brian, Lilia and Elsie remained silent and when all the kids were sitting in their seats, Brenda stood. "Alright, kids. Today, we have a special surprise."

She glanced at Lilia, who grinned. "Hi kids. It's me, Lilia."

Grins spread across every one of their faces and they all got up to come hug her. Brian watched, a smile on his own face, and wondered if there was anyone on this planet who didn't like the girl.

"I missed you all so much while I was gone." Her students ranged in age from
7 to 10, and all of them played music.

"Good. Did you get your surgery," one adorable little girl with braided pigtails asked.

"I did, actually. And I can see how good you all are doing. Goodness. You all seem to have grown a foot since I've been gone," she grinned.

"Miss Lilia," one of the older boys said and she glanced up.

"Yes, Steven?"

"We know you're leaving, and we wanted to give you a present. Brenda helped us make it."

He brought out a large posterboard, covered with pictures of Lilia and various students. In the center, it read, 'Lilia Reed, Our Favorite Music Teacher' with the same in braille writing under it.

Brian could see Lilia tear up. "This is so amazing, guys. I'm going to hang it up in my new house and look at it every day."

They all hugged her again and then Lilia sighed. "Well, I should go. I just wanted to give you guys something to remember me as well."

She grabbed her bag and produced a dozen or so little boxes. She handed them all out and when each child opened them, there was a wind up music box and a little glass container of sand. "The music box plays our favorite song and the sand is from where I'm going to be living now, so you will all always remember me."

Steven began winding the box and it played Fur Elise by Beethoven and every child's face lit up at the notes. They all tackled Lilia in hugs and she chuckled, hugging them back. The two spent another half hour at the school, during which, Brian was mostly silent, watching the woman he loved with her students.

He mostly stayed unnoticed until that adorable little girl with braided pigtails pulled on his pant leg. Brian smiled softly as he knelt. "Yes, sweetie?"

"Are you Miss Lilia's husband?"

Brian glanced up at Lilia, who smiled slightly and came to kneel by the girl. "Actually, Sophie, Brian is my boyfriend. I should've introduced him when we first came in." Straightening up, she said, "Class, this man here is my boyfriend, Brian."

"Is he the reason you're moving to California?"

"Yes, Stanley."

The students all began greeting Brian and asking him various questions. "Do you play music?"

"Yes, I do."

"What instrument?"

"Guitar, some piano."

"What kind of music?"

"Um...rock."

"Are you in a band?"

"Yes."

"What's your bands name?"

"Avenged Sevenfold."

"Like from the bible," Sophie spoke up.

"Exactly."

"Are you Christian rock?"

"Um...not exactly."

Lilia saved him then. "Alright, gang. I'm afraid we need to go." There was a series of disappointed groans and Lilia sighed. "I know. I'm going to miss you all dearly. But, I'm also going to leave the address of where I'll be living now with Elise and you're all welcome to send me letters. I'll write back. I promise."

Lilia was smothered in hugs again.

After they'd gathered all her things, they headed out. "Where did you get the time to make all those presents?"

"Mama helped me. We bought a bunch of the sand things when we were in California because I was going to give them out as souvenirs when I came back anyway. When you made it clear I'd be staying, I already had these music boxes in my apartment and decided to add them."

"You just had over a dozen music boxes chilling around your apartment?"

Lilia sighed, bushing darkly. "Okay. Fine. I ordered them because I was hoping you'd ask me to stay in California with you. I was already planning their gifts."

Brian's brow furled. "Why would you lie about that?"

"I didn't lie. When you said something about living with you, I ordered them and had them shipped to my apartment. It's because...I didn't want you to look at me like some kind of clingy weirdo, that I had bought them at the first mention of me staying with you."

"Why would I think you're a weirdo? I think it's cute, that you're as eager to be with me as I am with you."

Lilia glanced up at him and smiled. He returned it, stooping to kiss her mouth, her lips beginning to chill from the cold air. The kiss deepened as Lilia wrapped her arm around his neck, standing on tiptoes to make it easier. Brian slipped his own arm around her, pulling her up against him as his lips moved over hers.

They pulled back after a moment and Lilia rested her forehead on his chest. Brian kissed her golden locks before resting his chin on the top of her head. "I love you," she said into his shirt.

"I love you too, doll," he murmured. They stayed like that, comfortably for a moment or two before Lilia shivered against him and he smiled, drawing back and kissing her lips once again. "Come on. Let's get a cab."

When they arrived back to Lilia's apartment, there were boxes sitting outside the door and she smiled, making a mental note to thank Joe.

At the end of the night, most of Lilia's books, music and clothes were in boxes, marked appropriately. She and Brian dragged themselves to bed, barely awake enough to even pull the blankets down, exhausted from running around the apartment all day.

As Brian was drifting to sleep, he felt Lilia slip in bed beside him and slip her arms about him, resting her head on his shoulder. Brian had just enough strength to slip his arm about her waist and bury his face in her hair, sighing contentedly as he drifted back to sleep. "Good night, baby," he mumbled.

"Good night Brian."