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Robby and Tory had broken up the day after Robby’s birthday and only a few days before Valentine's Day. Robby was, understandably, still not over the breakup by Valentine’s Day. Robby didn’t really want to be alone all day, but all his friends had dates with their significant others. Even his dad was going out with Carmen tonight, which left Robby completely alone.
Robby was sprawled out on his father’s couch trying to watch tv and trying to ignore the voice from the darkest recesses of his mind. The voice that whispered to him, “If she left you, what makes you think anyone else will stay. I mean, sure your mom and dad came back to you, but how long will they stay? How long will anyone stay? Face the facts, dumbass. You’re alone and nobody loves you. Nobody ever could.”
Robby tries to quiet the voice in his mind by drowning it out. He turns up the volume on the tv, but the only shows and movies they are playing are romantic.
Robby doesn’t know when exactly he starts crying, but he could feel the tears on his face when he gave up flipping through the channels and left the tv on Pretty in Pink. Robby gave up and let the tears fall. He was alone after all. It’s not like there was anyone there to see it.
Robby was too busy sobbing to notice that Miguel walked into the apartment. Miguel knew about the breakup and how much it was impacting the boy who had come to be like a brother to him. A part of him wasn’t surprised to see Robby sobbing on the couch with a rom com playing in the background on Valentine's Day.
Miguel quietly called Robby’s name to get his attention. When Robby heard it, he struggled to clean himself up and stop crying. Miguel noticed this and said, “It’s okay to feel and express your emotions, you know. It’s healthier that way than it is shoving all the feelings down into the deep recesses of your soul.”
Tears began to fall again as Robby remembers what exactly is in the deepest recesses of his soul. “The deepest part of me tells me that I’ll always be alone and that no one loves me, Miguel. Forgive me for trying to put that out of my mind,” Robby told Miguel.
“People do love you. I love you,” Miguel said to Robby. “In fact,” he said, reaching into the bag that he had brought with him, “I brought you a gift.”
Miguel pulls a stuffed bear out of the bag. Robby smiles a little at how cheesy it is. “I didn’t want you to have to be alone, but Sam said that we couldn’t cancel our plans, so yeah. I got you a teddy bear.”
Robby grabbed the bear gingerly from Miguel’s hands. It was soft with plush light brown fur, and it was “holding” a red heart. Robby knew right away that this was exactly what he needed. Miguel knew him so well and Robby had no idea how.
“Thanks, Miguel,” Robby said.
“Of course,” Miguel said as he gave Robby a hug and left.
Robby was alone again, and he honestly expected the sad thoughts to return, but they didn’t. Not then at least. In that moment, he knew that Miguel, his brother, loved him, and he had Theo the stuffed bear as proof. Right now he would be okay, and that’s all he could really be sure of, right now.
Robby stayed on the couch watching various rom-coms and Valentine’s Day episodes of tv shows all day, hugging the stuffed bear, knowing that he may be alone right now, but that better things may still be to come. Robby fell asleep there on the couch, hugging that teddy bear.
When Johnny came home late at night and found Robby curled up on the couch clinging to that teddy bear like it was a life preserver. Johnny wasn’t sure whether to be concerned or affectionate. In the end, he smiled down at his son, who looked so calm and serene. Johnny got a blanket from the hall cupboard and placed it gently over his son. Then, he whispered, “I love you, Robby.” Robby twitched a bit in his sleep then settled down again.
Johnny smiled again and went back to his own bedroom, leaving Robby to sleep comfortably.