Page 159 of Off Season

He was originally hanging around her all day, every day. However, because her intensive physical therapy is in the morning and with Arizona, Ripley, and I never missing a session, Bailey basically kicked Tanner out of his own house. She told him he had to go to his office at least in the mornings every day. He wasn’t happy about it, but he now respects her wishes and just about everything else she asks for.

She has occupational therapy and sometimes meets with a psychologist in the afternoons. It’s amazing how much it all exhausts her, but she’s working her ass off. She seems to progress a little every single day.

Showering is the worst time of day for her. She despises how much she has to depend on us for help. She especially loathes the fact that she has to sit in an old-lady shower chair. I think it symbolizes her inability to do something as fundamental and simple as bathing without assistance from someone else.

Tanner crosses his arms. “Shedoes need me. I’m not leaving.”

Bailey starts crying. “Stop it! Both of you! I can’t take the constant bickering. Tanner, wait outside. I want my sister.”

I wave at him as I smile in satisfaction. “Bye. Have a good night. Don’t let the door hit you on the ass on the way out.”

He narrows his eyes at me. “I’ll be right outside the door waiting. Let me know if I’m needed.”

I happily shut the bathroom door in his face and turn back to my sister sitting in her wheelchair. “He’s such a dick.”

She leans her head back. “Please stop fighting with him. I can’t take it anymore.” Her eyes fill with tears again. “This is hard enough for me, Kam. I hate being dependent on you guys.”

“I get that, but I also know you want me to help with bathing more than any other thing.”

We don’t need to say the reasons out loud for us both to understand the reasoning. She’s got a big puffy wound on her back from the spinal surgery, another smaller one in the front from her ovary removal, and she’s still a little bloated from all the meds she was on while in the hospital. She doesn’t want him to see her body like this. I get it.

She simply nods.

I undress her and help her get situated in the shower. She doesn’t like me to wash her hair though. She insists on doing that herself. As I wait just outside the stall, I text Cheetah.

Me: Can you come over? He’s driving me nuts. Orgasm therapy from Dr. Gonzales is best for me right now.

I need him tonight.

Kitten: I’m here. I’m in the living room with Harper trying to distract her from the sounds of you and Tanner arguing.

A giant sense of relief washes over me. How did I get so dependent on him for my mentalhealth?

Me: Great. I’m showering her now. I’ll be out when she’s in bed.

I see three dots on the screen, but before he sends anything, I text,

Me: No, you can’t watch.

Kitten: LOL. Busted. You know me well.

After getting her ready and then into bed, I quietly make my way to the living room, hoping to not run into Tanner. This mega mansion isn’t big enough for the two of us.

I can’t help but smile as I approach the living room. Cheetah has built a giant fort. I can hear him and Harper whispering in there.

Harper asks, “Uncle Cheetah, why are you suddenly here all the time?”

He replies, “Because of Kam. I love her.”

“Why do you love her?”

“Because she makes me laugh. Oh, and because she’s the smartest person I know. Don’t tell your dad I said that.”

Harper giggles. “Daddy’s smart. He always knows my words of the day. Now that Kam lives here, she teaches me new words every day too, but she said I can’t tell my daddy about them.”

I bite back my smile. I’ll admit that I truly enjoy my time with Harper. She’s an articulate, smart, inquisitive little kid. I’ve never liked kids, but I’ve also never met one like her. She crawls into my bed when Bailey’s asleep. In my new life’s quest to fuck with Tanner, I’m teaching Harper as many offbeat, yet not dirty, words as I can think of.

I hear Cheetah chuckle. “Oh really? Tell me what word she taught you today.”

---