Page 38 of Trusting Trey
He wiped the tears off my face and lifted me from the couch, sitting me in the chair. “How does it feel?”
I couldn’t stop nodding my head, tears streaming down my face. “Inexplicably wonderful. I didn’t believe I would ever sit in a chair without pain. I feel supported and relaxed.”
He took my hands and knelt in front of me. “That’s what will help your recovery the most. When you’re already sore, it’s hard to be successful with physical therapy and range of motion. You needed this chair to move forward with your therapy and I wasn’t going to wait for the insurance to be convinced of it. You look good with all that glitter. The sorority girls are going to love it.”
I leaned forward into his chest. “I love it. I can’t say thank you enough times. Imagine when Baba sees me in this chair; he’s going to be incredibly grateful and excited. I could even work in the restaurant as a hostess for a few hours on the weekend with this chair.”
“He’s going to smile from ear-to-ear, so will your ma. The fact that after sitting in the chair for two minutes, you already came up with something you could do again that you used to love to do, fills my heart with hope. All we need is hope.”
“Hope,” I whispered. I unlocked the brakes and pushed it forward, the ease in which the wheels moved surprising me. I barely touched the hand rims and the chair moved swiftly because it was perfectly balanced. I turned the chair easily and wheeled back toward him. When I reached him, he grabbed the wheels and lowered his lips to mine.
“Best.Christmas.Ever.”
Christmas Morning
Present Day
I looked up from the pages of the book and he swiped away a tear. “Are you okay?”
I nodded. “I was just remembering our first Christmas morning when you gave me the wheelchair. It was a turning point in our lives.”
“It sure was. It was hard to replace that chair, but at the same time, I’m thrilled that the new one spends most of its time in the closet now.”
“Me, too,” I agreed, my eyes darting to the bathroom door. “It would be hard to be a mom from a wheelchair.”
He turned my chin toward him. “No, it would just be the way you were a mom. It’s the same thing I told Sugar when she shared her concerns about being a mother as an amputee. No two women mother the same way, but look at her and Faith. That little girl loves her mommy as her whole world and that’s because Sugar has figured out the best way to be her mother, regardless of her challenges.”
I nodded. “I know. We talked about it the other day when I met Sugar and Faith for lunch. I just didn’t have any idea that I might be pregnant at the time.”
“I love that we’re such good friends with her, when for a while there, I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to introduce you.”
“Everything has changed since our first Christmas.” I held up the book. “Like the fact that you usually give me a book on January seventh when we celebrate with my parents…”
December 27
13 Years Prior
He held the door open for me and I wheeled through before turning my head back to him. “Thanks for the ride. I’ll call you when I’m done.”
He held the door with his hip. “Are you sure you don’t want me to help you up to the floor?”
I shook my head. “No, I need to start being independent and with this chair I can be. I love you.”
He grinned. “I love you, too. I’ll be home working on my resume. Ring me when you’re ready.”
I waved and rolled to the elevators in the hospital. I was at St. Mary’s just two days after Christmas for physical therapy, only I didn’t really have physical therapy. I had other plans, and I didn’t want him here to stop me from my mission.
I looked at the list of the departments and didn’t see where the administrator offices were. I wheeled the chair down a long hallway and came out in a lobby where a woman sat behind a counter. I rolled up to it, still in awe of how fast the chair went with no effort, and stopped in front of the woman.
“May I help you?” she asked, looking away from her computer.
“Yes, hi, my name is Allison and I have an appointment with Mr. Livingston.” I smiled professionally and prayed with all my heart that she wouldn’t check, because I didn’t have an appointment. “I didn’t get what floor number he was on, though.”
She stood and came around the desk. “Oh of course, I’ll walk you down there. It’s on the way to the cafeteria.”
I wheeled the chair forward and tried to keep pace with her and not roll ahead. I just hoped she stayed friendly and didn’t start asking questions.
“That’s a cool chair,” she said making conversation.
