Love Her

Part 24

Her lips turned up at the corners. "I'm being silly, aren't I?"

She looked up, and I controlled my expression.

"Not silly - just being a mom."

Her mother smiled and then turned to finish preparing dinner.

We went upstairs to hang out in her room.

After a while, we made our way downstairs for dinner.

Her father was not a man of many words, and the effort he had put into trying to orchestrate a sit-down dinner with me made it clear there were an unusual characteristic number of words on his mind.

Not much was said at dinner, however, but when I came back from the bathroom, there was definitely tension in the room.

I politely asked how busy he was at work, being a police officer and all.

His eyes were happy and clear, free for once of the angry bitterness. "More than you know. Will you come back soon?"

"As soon as I can," I promised. The light of the moon brightened the clouds outside the windows. I watched the silver light, waiting for my eyes to get heavy. "I think I should head home."

"I'll walk with you." Melissa offered.

"But then you'd have to walk back alone." i reminded her.

"It's only down the street."

"If you insist."

Little did I know, that would be the last time we spoke civilly. Due to the rain earlier that day, the streets were slick and muddy. A car came a bit too fast around the bend, hitting us both. She did not make it in one piece. Losing both of her legs, she did not make the track team that year.

I was devastated, crippled in more ways than one. My heart felt like it had been torn into pieces.

I was sitting with her when she finally made her way free from the hospital.

Then she sighed. "It feels like it was years ago. Another era. A happier one." I couldn't agree more. But I was surprised to realize how many things I missed from my own personal dark ages.

She didn't turn around when she spoke like she knew she was able to hide things easier when I couldn't read her expressions. My stomach churned, sore and empty, my head ached with worry. I sighed. I knew what she was thinking...what she wanted. But I couldn't always give it to her. It was best to just ignore her train of thought.

But I couldn't.