Joey
Joey
Over the next few weeks, it seemed as though Gia was getting back to normal. She was laughing, and she even went over to Dean and Tracie’s house for dinner once a week.
The third time she was there, Tracie sat with her on the couch. “Gia…we want you to go to his room. There are things that we know he would want you to have.”
Gia hesitated, but nodded silently. She slowly stood and walked up the stairs. Standing outside his door, he stopped. She hadn’t been in there since before the accident and she wasn’t sure what would happen once she stepped over the threshold. Taking a deep breath, she turned the knob and walked in.
The first thing she noticed was how it still smelled like him. It had been such a long time, but it stayed with the room. She sat on the bed, and looked around as if it were her first time in the room. Sighing, she felt a few tears fall down her cheek. Wiping them away quickly, she closed her eyes and imagined him there with her.
“I miss you. Why did you have to leave me?”
“I didn’t.”
She jumped up and looked around. She knew she heard a voice, but there was no one in the room with her. “Who’s there? Show yourself or I will scream.”
She heard laughing. “Calm down. It is just me.”
Suddenly she turned and in front of her stood Joey. He was smiling, and looked better than ever. He walked closer to her and laughed. “You look hilarious when you are speechless.”
She looked at him. “How…?”
“I never left you Gia. But I don’t want you to leave me.” he paused. “I can’t be without you, no matter where I am. Come with me.”
She stared at him. “What?”
“I want you to walk into this light with me and we can still be together forever. Don’t make me go back alone.”
She gaped at him. “If you had come to me a few weeks ago, I would have come without hesitation. But Joey…I can’t. I can’t leave my Dad alone. And your parents. This would really kill them. They are not even close to being over your death and even with me here, they are dying inside. How could you ask me that? What about everyone we love?”
He nodded. “You will never really leave them. I would never let that happen. You will be with them, but please come with me. I need you.”
She didn’t speak. She wanted so badly to be with him again, but she didn’t want to die…and she couldn’t bear to leave her family like he had. “I can’t.”
He stared at her. “Don’t you trust me?”
She nodded immediately. “Of course I do.”
“Then come with me.”
She shook her head. “Joey…”
“Have I ever led you wrong before?”
She paused. “No.”
“Then trust me.” he held his hand out.
Gia looked back at the door and then turned back to Joey. Slowly, and shakily, she laid her hand in his and slowly they walked into the light…together.
The third time she was there, Tracie sat with her on the couch. “Gia…we want you to go to his room. There are things that we know he would want you to have.”
Gia hesitated, but nodded silently. She slowly stood and walked up the stairs. Standing outside his door, he stopped. She hadn’t been in there since before the accident and she wasn’t sure what would happen once she stepped over the threshold. Taking a deep breath, she turned the knob and walked in.
The first thing she noticed was how it still smelled like him. It had been such a long time, but it stayed with the room. She sat on the bed, and looked around as if it were her first time in the room. Sighing, she felt a few tears fall down her cheek. Wiping them away quickly, she closed her eyes and imagined him there with her.
“I miss you. Why did you have to leave me?”
“I didn’t.”
She jumped up and looked around. She knew she heard a voice, but there was no one in the room with her. “Who’s there? Show yourself or I will scream.”
She heard laughing. “Calm down. It is just me.”
Suddenly she turned and in front of her stood Joey. He was smiling, and looked better than ever. He walked closer to her and laughed. “You look hilarious when you are speechless.”
She looked at him. “How…?”
“I never left you Gia. But I don’t want you to leave me.” he paused. “I can’t be without you, no matter where I am. Come with me.”
She stared at him. “What?”
“I want you to walk into this light with me and we can still be together forever. Don’t make me go back alone.”
She gaped at him. “If you had come to me a few weeks ago, I would have come without hesitation. But Joey…I can’t. I can’t leave my Dad alone. And your parents. This would really kill them. They are not even close to being over your death and even with me here, they are dying inside. How could you ask me that? What about everyone we love?”
He nodded. “You will never really leave them. I would never let that happen. You will be with them, but please come with me. I need you.”
She didn’t speak. She wanted so badly to be with him again, but she didn’t want to die…and she couldn’t bear to leave her family like he had. “I can’t.”
He stared at her. “Don’t you trust me?”
She nodded immediately. “Of course I do.”
“Then come with me.”
She shook her head. “Joey…”
“Have I ever led you wrong before?”
She paused. “No.”
“Then trust me.” he held his hand out.
Gia looked back at the door and then turned back to Joey. Slowly, and shakily, she laid her hand in his and slowly they walked into the light…together.