Page 18 of Say Yes to the Death

“So, Tyler, why don’t you tell the camera why today is such a big deal,” she encouraged from the driver’s seat. Jerry turned around to film.

“Today is a big deal because I am getting new legs,” he said, patting his thighs. Both his legs stopped a few inches below the knee, and he wore compression socks over the nubs.

“And thanks to some help from the VA and Moon Prosthetics, I’ll be able to kneel and propose to my girlfriend, Ericka, when she comes home from her deployment next week. She has no idea.”

“And what else is part of Ericka’s homecoming surprise?”

“I bought us a house!” He smiled proudly.

Claire smiled and wiped a stray tear away with her thumb.

“I saw that. You’re already breaking your promise,” Tyler teased from the back of the van.

“I’m sorry,” she said, sniffling. “It’s just so romantic. War hero loses both legs while fighting for his country, falls in love with his nurse, and welcomes her home from her deployment by proposing to her in the home he bought for them. It’s just beautiful.”

“I couldn’t have done any of this without you,” he said. “I didn’t even know about the down payment program until you found it. And you organized those volunteers to paint the house and move everything in for free.”

She shrugged, sniffling and trying to collect herself as they pulled into the prosthetic office’s parking lot. “It’s nothing. You meet a lot of people in my line of work. I’m honored to help.”

They had barely taken their seats in the waiting room when a physician assistant in blue scrubs popped open a door in the corner of the room. “Tyler Roberts?”

Claire and Jerry followed as Tyler wheeled his way back down a long hallway, passing several exam rooms. She made eye contact with the receptionist just before passing through the door. Claire nodded, and the receptionist left her chair.

The physician assistant pressed a button, and a set of double doors opened to reveal the physical therapy room. The fluorescent lighting was harsh, and everything smelled like disinfectant. A set of steel parallel bars stood in the middle of the room.

It wasn’t the most romantic setting for this portion of the proposal story. It was too bad the parallel bars weren’t in an emerald-green meadow dotted with wildflowers, or maybe on a white sand beach next to turquoise waters. But not every part of a proposal could be romanticized. Unless she could get Jerry to film a sunset workout montage of Tyler getting used to his new legs. Hmmm. Philadelphia wasn’t that far away; she could totally envision Tyler running up the Rocky steps.

She flipped open her binder and scribbled a quick note.

Moments later, a doctor knocked on the door and then entered, carrying a large box.

At a nod from Tyler, Jerry began filming. Within minutes, the doctor had secured new prosthetics to Tyler’s legs. She made several adjustments and wheeled him over to the parallel bars.

Tyler’s mouth was set, face hardened in concentration. Jerry filmed from the opposite end of the bars.

“Okay,” the doctor said, stepping back from the table. “Now take it easy, but I want you to try to get to your feet and hold on to these bars.” She gripped Tyler’s left arm firmly, and Claire leapt up and supported his right.

Together they lifted him out of his chair. Tyler gripped the bars on either side and straightened his back. He wobbled for a moment and then stood strong.

“How does it feel?” the doctor asked.

“This is incredible,” he said, looking down at his feet. “I’m standing for the first time in over a year.” He took a wobbly step forward.

Tears pricked at Claire’s eyes again, but she blinked them away. Tyler was amazing. He easily could have given up after his injury and subsequent discharge. Instead, he persevered. Through rehab and his transition to civilian life, he had never let his disability hold him back. He had a job, a home, a ton of hobbies, and a steadfast devotion to his girlfriend. The earth-shattering trauma he had endured did not define him. How did he do it?

“Be careful,” his doctor cautioned. “Don’t do too much too fast. Get comfortable with them.”

Tyler gripped the bars for a moment as he wobbled, but then he took another step. And another. Then he let go of the railing all together. His steps were clumsy, like a baby learning to walk for the first time.

He made it all the way to the end of the parallel bars, turned around, and kept going. He pushed his wheelchair out of the way with one foot and took his hands off the bars.

“Maybe you’d like to take them for a spin out in the hallway?” the doctor asked, holding the door open. “Carefully,” she added.

Tyler straightened his spine and took careful, measured steps across the room. He crossed the threshold, showing no signs of slowing down.Jerry stepped out in front of him to keep filming. Claire and the doctor followed immediately behind, pushing a physical therapy chair in case he lost his footing.

Dozens of workers lined the hallway, dressed in red, white, and blue scrubs. They clapped and cheered as he made his way slowly down the hallway. It was only here, surrounded by a crowd of supporters dressed in the colors of the country he had defended and sacrificed for, that Tyler broke down. Tears streamed down his face, and he slowly made his way, nodding at the doctors and nurses.

All four of Tyler and Ericka’s parents waited at the end of the hallway. Tyler nearly stumbled into his dad’s arms. There wasn’t a dry eye in the bunch.

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