Page 29 of The Girl He Loves

Chapter 11

Monday

I textmy friends after leaving Dr. Carpenter’s. Wow, what an appointment it was. Marvelous news about Tyler’s sleep study and medication. Stable and long periods of no seizure activity is just what I like to hear. Her offer was the cherry on top.

On the drive home I fill in my counselor, Jamison, having caught her right before she left the office. Then I fill Mom in on Tyler’s results when I pick him up from my mom’s.

I ask the gang to meet me at my house, and I splurge. I grab takeout Thai food for everyone. I only balked once at the cost. But I don’t care. I’m celebrating that maybe, just maybe, my luck has turned.

We get home ten minutes before my friends arrive. Josie’s carrying wine. Paisley has cookies. It’s officially a girls' night.

Paisley says, “I’m glad you called when you did before I made the drive home to Jacksonville. I’m finding once I get on the road, I don’t want to turn back.”

Last month Paisley moved in with Hank, who’s stationed in Jacksonville. Her daily commute is an hour and a half one way, but she only has ten more weeks of the school year left before she’s done for good. Paisley, an occupational therapist like my sister-in-law Kenley, will be saying goodbye to her school therapy job, getting married, and moving to Japan.

I forgot about her commute. “I’m sorry,” I say. “I appreciate you coming, but you don’t have to stay if you want to get on the road.”

She flings an arm around my shoulder. “Are you kidding? I won’t miss that traffic for nothing. Besides, Hank has duty, so he’s sleeping on base, and I can stay with Josie. It’s a win for everyone. And I smell Thai food, so there’s no way you’re getting rid of me now.”

I’ll miss her desperately. It was Paisley who’d been the kind, gentle person to guide me down Tyler’s medical path. She’s been my unwavering light in the storm. I side-hug her back.

“I can’t stand it,” Jayne says. “Tell us the news!”

They’re gathered in my kitchen. Tyler’s already dug through the many boxes of food and taken what he wants. He’s disappeared into the living room to watch TV.

“Okay, get this,” I say and clasp my hands together in excitement. “Tyler’s seizures haven’t increased and the medicine seems to be keeping him stable.”

The group cheers, and Jayne hugs me while jumping up and down.

Josie holds up a wine bottle in each hand. “I should have brought champagne, not red wine.”

I wave my hands to get their attention. “Wait, that’s not all. Though by far that’s the best news, but get this.” I tell them about how I helped Lisa fill out her forms in the doctor’s waiting room. That I used the same calm, soft mannerisms Paisley did with me. I tell them how Dr. Carpenter witnessed it. “And… she offered me a job.”

The group gasps in delight.

“A job?” asks Jayne. “What sort?”

I take plates out of the cabinet and hand one to each of them. “It’s called a child life specialist. It’s working with families and kids as they go through these big life events. Surgeries, the unthinkable, you name it.”

Paisley pauses as she’s scooping rice. “That’s actually perfect for you. I wish I’d thought of it.” She meets my gaze. “It’s not always going to be an easy job. But then, neither is teaching.”

Josie asks, “And you can do this with your criminal record?” She winks.

I smile. “Yes, I still want to get the record expunged, but it’s not essential. I told Dr. Carpenter about it and she didn’t seem worried. I already spoke with my college counselor and I have most of the required classes. I’m two short, but I can take them as online evening classes. So that’s good. What’s even better is that I can graduate at the end of summer if I want.”

Paisley asks, “Isn’t there an internship? If I remember right, when I was doing mine, there was another gal there doing one as a child life specialist.”

This was the downside to this new opportunity. Though, in perspective, it was really no different from my student teaching. “Yes, I’ll have to do a three-month internship starting in May at the hospital in Orlando, which is where the position will be.” Not the logistically perfect internship of working in Tyler’s school, as I’d hoped. The drive alone would be a juggle. Previously, I had planned to work after school at Jayne’s shop until six-thirty, giving me fifteen hours a week, but now that extra time would be eaten up by my drive to and from Orlando. I’d planned for the cut in pay a year ago by saving what I could. But now I’ll be even shorter on income than expected because, not only would I start sooner than expected, but the additional loss of income is a hard hit for a hand-to-mouth household. [My friends know this. We’ve drafted loads of budgets trying to plan for the worst-case scenario.

Josie asks, “Is it paid?”

I make the ‘sorta’ sign with my hand. “There’s a stipend to cover gas and meals.”

There’s an unanswered question hanging heavy in the room. Can I afford to take this opportunity? For me, the answer is: how could I not? This career sounds every bit as good as teaching. It’s helping others in ways I never imagined. And my “criminal record” is a non-issue.

I try to work out the logistics and talk through the issues with my friends. “Childcare is taken care of with my mom.”

Paisley adds, “Your increase in gas will be covered, too. That’s good. And maybe you can pocket the difference by taking your own lunches.”

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