A man stood with his back to the door. Violin resting beneath his chin, he played on, the music lilting and soft, flowing around the room. His black hair extended a little past his shoulders and tapered toward the middle. He was dressed in dark gray, from his silk shirt to his pants. His feet were bare, looking pale against the dark wood of the glossy floor.

Staring at the man in amazement, Bryan couldn’t quite believe his eyes. He had expected his guardian to be older. The man he saw couldn’t be more than in his late twenties. This couldn’t be his guardian. Yet he played like an angel. When the song changed, Bryan recognized the music, and it entranced him. It was a Tchaikovsky piece. In fact, his guardian had sent him the original sheet of music composed by Tchaikovsky as a gift for Bryan’s eighteenth birthday.

Did he dare actually go into the room? This had to be his guardian, the feeling of certainty never let go of Bryan. When Bryan heard a small sound off to his left, he quickly decided to slip into the room.

"Close the door." The man’s voice was rich and deep, and it seemed to blend perfectly with the exquisite tones he coaxed out of the Stradivarius beneath his chin.

Already ungodly nervous, the voice startled Bryan, but he did quietly shut the door behind him. Standing uncertainly, he hovered near the door. Not daring to say anything, the music wove its own spell around Bryan as he listened to the man play.

The man didn’t speak for several more minutes; he just kept playing. When the piece was done, he lowered the violin and sighed. "I wondered how long it would take you to come find me."

With the acknowledgment, a glow of satisfaction warmed through Bryan. He had been right. "They wouldn’t let me in at the gate, and you never answered my requests to come visit you."

Still not moving, he remained beside the door, studying the back of his guardian.

"It is rare that I venture out of my home." The man set the violin down in its velvet-lined case as carefully as one might place a sleeping baby in its crib. "I am impressed that you made it through the security." A soft chuckle followed and the man turned slowly. "Welcome, Bryan, to my home."