Chapter 5
five
Tristyn
Henry, baby, are you almost dressed? Uncle Vince will be here in five to pick you up!”
I throw another load of laundry in the dryer, then dig through my hamper of clean clothes to find something to wear to work.
It’s been nearly two weeks since Henry finished school, and I’m still no closer to finding something for him to do while I’m at work. I got lucky with this job: I start at 8:00 am after Henry starts school, I’m done at 4:30 pm, and I can pick Henry up from his after-school program.
But every summer, I run into the same problem…
no help. I can’t afford to hire a babysitter; I have no family and no support aside from Vince.
The church became a second family to Henry every summer.
When he found out there wouldn’t be a summer program this year, he was devastated.
Every idea I’ve had since has fallen through.
Either Henry doesn’t want to do it, or I can’t afford it.
“Henry!” I yell, jumping into my pants and quickly buttoning them. “Vince will be here soon, please be ready!”
I run out into the kitchen, grab the pitcher of coffee, and fill my to-go cup. Henry comes around the corner with his backpack and scoots into the first chair at the kitchen table.
“Do you have to work today?” He leans forward, resting his head in his hands. “You haven’t had a whole day off since I finished school.”
I feel bad.
He’s not wrong, though. Between work and PT, I haven’t spent as much time with him over the last two weeks as I’d like.
But the accident took me out of work for two whole weeks, and I had no more PTO because I used it all when Henry was in the hospital with pneumonia. A bill I’m still working on paying off.
“I’m off on Sunday, and I promise it has your name written on it, okay?” I kiss the top of his head. “And soon I’ll be done with PT.” Hopefully, "And things will be back to normal. I promise.”
“Okay.” He sighs. “I guess Uncle Vince and I have fun.”
“Don’t act like Uncle Vince isn’t your favorite person in the whole world.” I roll my eyes. “You always want to go over to Uncle Vince’s.”
“That was last summer when I—”
“I know, bud. I promise I’m trying to find something for you to do this summer since church camp isn’t an option, okay?”
Suddenly, his frown turns into a suspicious grin.
“Well, actually, some of my friends are doing a hockey camp.”
My stomach sinks.
Hockey.
A hockey camp.
I couldn’t even afford for him to do a summer camp at the rec center, where they do crafts and read stories. How in the hell am I going to afford all of the equipment that goes along with hockey? Not to mention all the other reasons I don’t want him to play.
It's dangerous.
A danger I don’t know is worth it.
“Hockey?”
“Yeah. Damian and Luis were talking about it in school. They’re really excited. Damian said his parents bought him his first pair of skates when he was two years old. His dad taught him to skate.”
Henry’s smile falters.
“Where’s the hockey camp?”
“Rockford. That’s not far, right? Uncle Vince lives in Rockford.”
“It’s not far at all, buddy. I’ll look into it, okay? I promise.”
The doorbell rings.
“But right now, you need to grab your water bottle from the fridge while I get the door.”
We cross paths as I head to the door and swing it open.
“My favorite family!”
Henry appears behind me.
“You ready to go, little man?” Vince bends down to be at Henry’s level.
“I’m ready.” He smiles, walking out the door. “Guess what, Uncle Vince? I’m going to play hockey.”
Vince raises an eyebrow at me as he turns to follow Henry out.
“Hockey, huh?”
I just shrug.
Vince, yeah, I’m leaving now.” I dig for my keys in my bag.
“What time should you be done with PT?”
“Well, hoping my car actually starts, and I get there on time, I should be by you by 6:30 or 7:00. How’s Henry?”
“He’s spent the whole day making me look up the Rockford hockey camp. He seems really excited about it, Tris, I didn’t even think you’d—”
“Trust me, I’m not stoked about it, but if it’s something I can swing, and he’s excited for it, I can’t exactly say no. His friends from school are doing it, and you know how hard it was for him to make friends.”
I think it had more to do with their parents not wanting their kids to hang out with what the woman at our last church called a ‘bastard child, which ended up being a blessing in disguise because it led us to a church in Rockford, not far from the university, where Henry met Luis and Damian. I know there are still some people at that church who aren’t fans of me, being a teen mom and all, but it was definitely more welcoming than our last church, and Henry finally felt like he fit in.
“Actually, I was looking into it, and they have scholarships for the program. You don’t have to buy equipment or anything, and they cover most of the program, depending on which scholarship you receive.
I already applied for it. The program starts the last week of June and runs from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.
I know that doesn’t solve everything, but it could help a bit.
It seems really cool, and it's a beginner camp, so you don’t have to worry about Henry being behind and… I’m just rambling on now, aren’t I?”
“I appreciate you looking into it for me. I don’t know what we’d do without you.”
I get into my car, shut my eyes, and silently pray as I turn the key. Thankfully, it starts right up.
“I’ll text you once I get to PT, and then I’ll let you know when I’m leaving. Give him a kiss for me. I’ll see you guys soon.”
The drive to PT seems longer than usual, but I honestly think it’s because I’m exhausted. All I do is go, go, go, all day, every day, to barely keep my head above the water.
“Hi, Martha.” I grin as I reach the front desk, using my left hand to sign in, making my name very illegible on the line, because holding a pen with my brace is impossible. “I’m glad you’re back. Are you feeling better?”
“Much. Thank you. How’s the wrist?”
“On the mend,” I reply. “Or so I’m told.”
“You can head back now; Lacey is ready for you.”
“Thank you.”
I head down the hall and find Lacey in her usual corner of the clinic.
“I was beginning to think you weren’t going to show.”
“My appointment starts in two minutes.”
“Usually, you’re here five minutes early.”
“Oh no, call the authorities, I’m only two minutes early.”
“Shut up.” She shakes her head, using her pen to point to the bench in front of her. “Sit.”
I sit down, and she takes the brace off my wrist, and she looks up at me, a look of disappointment filling her face.
“What did I say about taking it easy?”
I don’t say anything. It’s not like she reminded me every time I left not to overdo it.
But I can’t exactly tell my job I can’t do the one thing they pay me for.
It’s the only thing keeping a roof over our heads.
It’s what’s paying for these appointments.
And with all of the changes the company has made over the last two years, I can’t give them a reason to think I’m expendable.
“You don’t wear your brace when you work, do you?”
“I did,” I begin, “for a while. But I can’t exactly do my job without a full range of motion from my fingers.”
“You remind me of another patient; he was about as stubborn as you when it came to taking it easy.”
I know she can’t tell me more, so I don’t know why I bother asking.
“What happened to him?”
Her face falls just for a moment, then she shakes it away, and her eyes are back on me, but not as bright as they once were.
“Doesn’t matter. This is about you, and I want to make sure you don’t continue to damage the nerves in your hand by not giving your wrist the proper amount of rest.”
“Fine, I promise I will try to take it easy, okay?”
She knows I’m lying. I know I’m lying, but we both know she can’t exactly keep pushing the topic.
“How’s your wrist? Does it feel sore?”
“Yeah, it’s definitely feeling agitated today.”
I know she can tell by looking at my wrist that I’m in pain. I didn’t realize how swollen my wrist was until I got here, and she took my brace off. I guess the constant typing and work today kept my mind off the pain, but the moment it was back in the brace and resting, it all caught up with me.
“Okay, we’re going to take it easy today, then, okay?”
“Thanks, Lace.”
“I just want you to get better, Tristyn. You were making so much progress, don’t lose it now.”
“Promise.”