Page 47 of Confined Space

It's been just over a week since my surgery. Rowdy has been pushing to get me to move in with him, but I've got his mom on my side and I've been able to hold him off. Because she's able to help me during the day while Rowdy is at work, we've got him convinced I need to stay here. I'm relaxing back on a lounger as Archer is taking a nap. I’ve been cleared to return to work after my two weeks of recovery are over. I'll be in a cast and on light duty for twelve weeks until my arm is completely healed.

"Are you about ready to go?" JoAnna says from behind me, and I turn to see she's got her bag.

"Oh crap! I forgot. Just a sec." I race into my room and slip on a pair of shorts over my swimsuit bottoms. I then slip a tank top on over my bikini top and put on short socks so I can wear my boots. Slipping into Archer's room, I carefully pick him up and place him in his car seat, then we meet JoAnna at the entrance to the garage. I forgot she was going to give me a ride into town today so I can pick up my prescriptions. I don't take the pain meds often, but I do take the anti-inflammatories a couple of times a day. It reminds me of when Georgia helped me do this same thing after the accident.

Tomorrow is Rowdy's firehouse family barbecue to celebrate the end of summer. I'm nervous because we've only been on that one formal date. Everything else has been movies at his house or here hanging by the pool and pizza nights. Are we really a couple?

"You are very quiet," JoAnna says from the driver's seat.

"I'm just nervous about this weekend." I confide in her.

"Why? They'll all love you, just like we do."

"But he's introducing us as his family and yet we've only been on one official date."

"Sweetheart, that doesn't mean you aren't in a relationship. Shoot, his father and I only went on a handful of dates before he told everybody we were engaged. I didn't have a ring or anything."

"So, Rowdy’s just like his father, then?"

"Yes, he is. I knew it would just take him meeting the right girl and he'd be all in. You're that girl."

"Thank you. I hope I can be."

"Just love him like he loves you and you're on the right path."

We pull up to the pharmacy and JoAnna comes inside too. She takes Archer for a stroll through the aisles while I wait in line for my prescriptions. I look up at the pharmacy tech who’s helping people and cringe. It's Melissa. I've finally been assigned a new caseworker, but there are still claims coming in against me. I can't figure out why or who is doing it. JoAnna is convinced it's Melissa and her mother, but I don't know why they would do that to me. I don't know them. My phone pings in my pocket, and I pull it out.

Rowdy

Where are you?

Me

At the pharmacy.

Rowdy

Movie night?

Me

Yes.

We are working our way through the Lord of the Rings movies and the Harry Potter ones right now. We finished the TV series he got me hooked on, and I'm now reading the books and enjoying them.

"Can I help you?" Melissa sneers at me. I look up from my phone with a smile on my face that fades away at the pure hatred focused back at me.

"Yes, I'm here to pick up my prescriptions."

"Name?"

"Coral Pierce."

"Date of birth?"

I tell her and she huffs as she turns to retrieve them.

"You shouldn't take these types of medications while you're nursing." Her voice is bitter sounding and carries to others around us as she scans both bottles.

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