Page 19 of A Constant Reminder

Chapter 11–Tyler

My knee bounced up and down nervously as I waited in the hospital coffee shop. I’d told Sam I had a couple of finals, but the truth was, I only had one, and I finished it rather quickly.

Lying to Sam just about killed me, but I knew she would kill me if she knew what I was really up to.

Glancing up, I saw Dr. Wilshire walk in and grab a quick cup of black coffee before sitting down across the small table from me.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Wendell. Please excuse me if this seems rushed, but it’s been a crazy morning, and I really only have a few minutes.”

“Of course. I won’t take up much of your time. It’s just that I’m worried about Sam. The other day we got word that the police are no closer to finding the man who did this to her, and she’s pretending like it’s no big deal. She’s acting as though everything is fine even though I know it has to be bothering her.”

She held up a hand. “I’m sure right now Sam is compartmentalizing so much that it’s probably not bothering her. She’s learned to shove everything down, and she’s in the mindset that if she acts like it doesn’t exist, then it doesn’t. Problem is that it likely won’t stay buried forever.”

“But how do I get her to talk to me? Or talk to someone? Anyone?” Worry resonated in my words as I grasped for any scrap of advice the doctor could give me.

She sighed. “You said it yourself. You can’t force her to talk until she is ready. But maybe I can offer some other suggestions.”

I nodded waiting for her to proceed.

“You need to find ways to pull Sam out of that darkness. Give her reasons to smile and be happy every single day. Do things to keep her mind busy…happy things. Give her a project…a goal…something she can feel good about accomplishing. That way, even if she’s not talking, she isn’t stuck in her own head either.”

Everything the doctor said made sense. Maybe me keeping her cooped up in the house wasn’t the best idea to help her state of mind. On the other hand, I had to find something we could do that wouldn’t involve anything too strenuous that might hinder her recovery.

The doctor had to get back to work, so I thanked her and said I’d keep in touch about Sam’s condition.

Since I had some more time to kill before Sam expected me home, I pulled out my phone and did a search for fun things to do around Boston.

Ice skating? No, she’s far too clumsy for that.

Karaoke? No, she’d never agree to sing in front of other people…and we were all very thankful for that.

Trampoline jumping? See note about ice skating.

My thumb continued to scroll down as I tried to find something I knew she would love. I knew Sam, and it shouldn’t that hard.

Finally, I came up with the perfect idea, but it would take me a little while to make sure everything was absolutely perfect.

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