3. #2
“I’m glad,” I replied with a smile as I leaned against the counter in the therapy room where I’d surprised him today.
“They’re covered in a special polyurethane that’s washable just like the rest of the braces.
The pattern will last as long as the braces do, but if you need me to do anything else to them, or if you ever need another pair, just give me a call and I’ll hook you up. ”
I put my fist out, and he bumped his knuckles against mine. I laughed when he said, “I can’t wait to get these on! Can you watch me walk in them?”
“I’m sure Mr. Martin needs to go,” Charlie’s mom, Mrs. Aberdeen, said hesitantly.
“If you’re up for it, then so am I. Today is my day off, so I’ve got nothing but time.”
That was a lie, but I was going to roll with it.
I could put off the maintenance on my bike for a while, and I’d rather do anything other than shop for groceries and deal with the laundry that was piled up at home.
It seemed like my days off were filled with shit I didn’t want to do but couldn’t avoid, which made me wish I was back at the shop anyway.
Adulthood was a harsh master, but I had no other option but to go along for the ride, regardless of how much it sucked. However, a quick trip with this cool kid to watch him show off something I’d helped create was better than anything else I had planned for my day.
I walked beside his wheelchair down the hall into the elevator and then followed Charlie and his mom into the large open area that was filled with equipment that helped people learn to walk.
There were people scattered around the gym, all of them at different levels of mobility - some were in harnesses to help them stand upright while others were using the parallel bars to hold on to while they took hesitant steps.
It was easy to tell who was staff and who were patients because the physical therapists all wore bright turquoise scrubs.
Charlie’s therapist was busy with another patient, but another one I knew came over to greet him and then smiled at me before she gave me a hug. I’d been working with the PT department and orthotics for a few years now and had developed solid friendships with quite a few employees.
And, of course, I’d dated several too.
Hallie, the therapist who was currently having a problem removing her arms from around my waist, fell into that category.
She’d been bitter when I first broke things off and then morose and sad every time I saw her before she got angry when she realized I was dating a nurse who worked in acute rehab.
But word had gotten out that Tanya and I weren’t together anymore, and Hallie had decided to give me a second chance.
I wasn’t sure how to explain to her that I’d rather tie a steak to my nuts and run through a pack of hungry dogs than ever go out with her again. She was that annoying and obviously clingy.
Once I was able to pry her arms from around my waist, I took a step back and used Mrs. Aberdeen as a human shield to protect myself from Hallie’s overly affectionate greeting and smiled when she coughed to disguise a laugh.
Under my breath, I whispered, “Help!”
This time, she couldn’t control herself and burst out laughing. She snorted, and it reminded me so much of my cousin who always did the same thing that I couldn’t help but join her, which really irritated Hallie.
Luckily, Charlie had wheeled off to talk to a friend when Hallie asked, “So, the two of you are dating now? God, Rin, have you ever thought of shopping at a different store?”
“Actually, I really like that little mom-and-pop grocery that opened over on Eighth,” I answered sarcastically.
“They have the best produce, don’t they?
” Mrs. Aberdeen asked. When I nodded, she smiled at Hallie and said, “I guess we’re going to have to take our relationship to the next level.
He’s not exactly hard on the eyes, and I bet if I play my cards right, he’ll start picking up things for my house along with his. ”
“Won’t Mr. Aberdeen have something to say about that?”
“Mr. Aberdeen can’t be trusted alone in a grocery store, because he forgets half of what’s on the list and comes home with more junk food than our family should consume in a year.”
“Don’t let him go when he’s hungry.”
“I never considered that, but it may help!”
Hallie ignored our banter and asked, “Are you busy later, Rin?”
Apparently, Mrs. Aberdeen wasn’t finished playing along yet, and scoffed before she said, “Well, yeah, he’s busy. He’ll be grocery shopping for me!” When I just shrugged, Hallie stormed off toward the patient she’d left waiting, and Mrs. Aberdeen said, “I’ve never liked that girl.”
“She was a lot like health food. I went into it with good intentions, but started to wonder about my life choices after about three days.”
“You’re the best, Rin, and it’s not just because of everything you do for the patients here. Every time I see you with the kids’ parents, they’re laughing.”
“I do what I can. With looks like these, I’ve got to rely on my sense of humor.”
“Shit,” Mrs. Aberdeen hissed before she pushed my shoulder. “You’re gorgeous, and you know it. Don’t try to play me.”
“I’m not trying to play you, I’m trying to find someone that will cook the groceries I so carefully pick out! Don’t forget - I can follow a list of directions, and I won’t bring home a trunk full of sugary crap.” I winced before I said, “Okay, maybe a little crap, but not a year’s worth.”
“I’ll let my husband know he’s got competition.”
“Mom! Rin! Are you ready to watch?” Charlie called out from across the room.
“Every time I see him excited to walk, I get teary-eyed,” Mrs. Aberdeen admitted. “I wasn’t sure we’d ever get here after the accident.”
I took her hand and pulled her along with me. “Come on. If you start to get weepy, I’ll tell him I accidentally stepped on your toe.”
My bluster worked because by the time we made it over to Charlie, Mrs. Aberdeen was laughing again. While she helped her son get his new braces on and then took a few pictures of him posing while holding onto the parallel bars, I looked around the room to see where Hallie had landed.
Thankfully, she was gone because another woman caught my eye - but this one wasn’t a patient or an employee.
She was sitting alone at the edge of the room watching two patients in wheelchairs, talking with their heads close together.
When one of them laughed, she reached up to wipe a stray tear from her cheek, and without a second thought, I sat down on the bench beside her.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
She looked at me, clearly taken aback, before she asked, “Is it that obvious?”
“That you’re upset? Yes.”
“I’m trying to stay positive and all that good bullshit, but sometimes it gets to me.”
I looked over at the men she’d been watching and asked, “Which one is your husband?”
She laughed before she said, “Neither. They’re . . . um . . . family friends. No. They’re part of my family, but . . . I don’t really know how to explain it.”
“I come from a family like that.”
She looked doubtful when she asked, “Really?”
“Yeah. Family isn’t limited to blood relatives; it’s also who you choose to be around when you don’t want to see or talk to anyone else.”
“That describes our relationship perfectly.”
“I’m a poet.”
The woman laughed, and it completely transformed her face. She stuck her hand out before she said, “I’m Stan.”
“Stan. That’s an interesting name. I’m Rin.”
“Takes one to know one,” she laughed.
“It’s a nickname.”
“So is mine.”
“Well, Stan , it was nice to meet you, but my friend Charlie is about to test out his new braces, so I’ve gotta go back over there and make sure he knows how cool he is.”
“Tell him I called you over here to ask him where he got such cool AFOs.”
“I’ll do that.” I stood up and then smiled down at her before I said, “Keep smiling, Stan. There’s no crying in baseball.”
Stan burst out laughing and said, “Thanks, Coach. I’ll keep that in mind.”