In this second photograph, Robbie is standing beside Brian, his long-time lover. How fitting it is that they are posed in front of the New York skyline. When they came to visit from Boston I was inevitably swept up in their wild and deep enjoyment of the city I live in.

Brian spent the last healthy year of his life caring for Rob. The way he did this will forever be an inspiration to me. How can these two people no longer be here? It is still so unreal. They took up so much valuable space in this world.

On New Year's Eve, 1993, Ginny and I had fallen asleep before 11:00, despite a valiant effort to make it 'till midnight. In large part, we were exhausted from a trip to Boston, a journey to say good-bye to Robbie, who was near death.

At eleven forty, I woke with a start. "What's wrong?" Ginny asked. "I was dreaming of Robbie," I told her. "He was standing on a crowded street corner wearing a white linen suit, laughing and waving at me."

We both cried and went back to sleep. The next day we learned that Robbie had passed away at exactly twenty minutes to midnight.

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