A Summer To Remember

You'll Learn

Mom was sitting on the couch when I woke up. She looked like she'd been awake for hours. The place was spotless and had even been vacuumed. Mel was playing like she'd been up for a while, too.

Mom looked over the back of the couch as I rolled into the room in my wheelchair. "About time you woke up."

"What's the point of waking up early if I don't have any plans?"

"Jade isn't coming over?"

I sighed. "Her mom wants to spend more time with her. I don't get why she's so clingy but that's why she had to leave so early yesterday."

"Well, I would miss you if you were gone all the time."

"She doesn't like her mom. I don't blame her. She's controlling and overprotective. Jade can take care of herself."

She reached over to me and patted my hand. "I worry about you three all the time, you know. It's what a mother does."

"You don't know this woman, mom."

"She can't be that bad, Dylan."

Jake came out of his room, a jacket over his shoulders. He was shoving his arms in as he walked past.

"Where are you going?"

He jumped and turned to face both of us. "Um, Cassie wants me to go to her house today. Is that okay?"

"Don't stay out too late."

He pulled the keys from his pocket and went out the door. Seconds later, I heard the car start.

I raised my eyes at mom. "So that's new."

She got to her feet, grabbing her coffee mug off the coffee table. "They're really hitting it off."

I followed her to the kitchen. "I'm kind of surprised. She's not exactly his type."

"What's his type then?"

"Definitely not someone in a wheelchair."

She leaned against the counter while she warmed up the pot of coffee. "Are you saying your brother's shallow?"

"I wouldn't say shallow. But he's not... you've seen how he acts around me."

"That's because you're his brother."

"Can you honestly blame me for being confused?"

She sighed. "I think Jacob likes her and that's all that matters. You should try to be supportive, Dylan."

"I am trying, mom."

She turned back to her coffee and filled her cup. "How come you're in your wheelchair this morning?"

I went to the fridge and pulled the milk out. "I'm too tired."

"I hope this isn't going to become a regular occurrence."

I shrugged. I didn't care if it did, honestly. I needed to be okay with being in a wheelchair if I was ever going to accept myself for who I was. Before I used my prosthetics, I needed to be okay with not having legs to begin with. And it was something I was struggling with.

She grabbed a bowl from the cabinet and set it on the counter where I could reach it. "You'll still be able to see Jade. Just not as frequently anymore."

I sighed. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do now that she's not around, you know?"

"It'd be a great time to try building muscle and practicing walking."

"You're still on that, huh?"

She shrugged. "I'm just saying it would be a good time to do it. Either that or work on homework."

I laughed. "You're funny, mom."

"The more you sit around and wallow in the fact that Jade isn't here, the more depressed you're going to be."

I watched her walk from the room, silently cursing myself. She was right and I knew it. If I didn't find something to do with my free time, I was going to fall into a pit I'd never be able to get out of. I knew Jade didn't want that and I didn't want that for myself.

I fixed my cereal then realized I wasn't going to be able to carry it to the living room. I needed my one good hand to move the wheelchair and the other wasn't much good.

"Mom, I need help."

Mom walked back in, her eyebrows raised. "A little more difficult without your prosthetics, huh?"

I rolled my eyes. "I don't need the lecture, mom."

She grabbed the bowl then got behind the chair and pushed me into the living room. I hated being so dependent on her but there was only so much I could do.

I moved from my chair and onto the couch. Mom handed me the bowl, waiting until it was safely in my lap before she let go. Then she sat down at the other end where her coffee was.

I struggled to get the spoon to hold any of the cereal and it was starting to piss me off. I was hoping it wouldn't have taken long to figure out how to deal with not having two hands. Being left handed couldn't have been that hard. Yet it was proving to be more difficult than not having legs.

I groaned. "Why is this so hard?"

Mom looked at me with a small smile on her face. "You'll learn, sweetie."