“Hopefully not much longer.I’m waiting for the doctor to come by and tell me I’m good to go.”
That happens half an hour later when he catches the boys and Mouse still lounging in my room, where we’ve been talking cars.To his credit, he doesn’t even mention the dog, just gives her a long, hard stare.He does a quick exam and declares me fit to go, but suggests I don’t drive for at least another twenty-four hours and take it easy for a couple more days.
We’ll see about that, but I’m not going to argue, or else he’ll make me stay longer.
I leave Mouse in the bed and duck into the small bathroom to get out of this ridiculous gown and into my own clothes.When I walk back out, a nurse is in the room with my discharge papers, eyeing Mouse who has rolled onto her back in my bed, legs sticking up in the air.She shoots me a stern look, wordlessly hands me my papers, and leaves the room.
“I should give your mom a call,” I announce.“She was gonna pick me up.”
“Why?We can give you a ride,” Linc offers.
A few minutes later I’m sitting in the passenger seat of the kid’s Wrangler, Mouse’s hot breath in my ear as I try to give Tessa a heads-up via text.
Your boys are busting me out and taking me home.
As Linc turns a corner,I notice a soft grinding sound coming from the engine.I listen for it again the next turn he makes.
“When’s the last time this thing had a tire rotation?”I ask Linc.
“I dunno.I haven’t had it that long.Not since I got it.”He turns his head to look at me.“Why?”
“Because your wheel bearings should get checked with a tire rotation, and I think you have a damaged one on your passenger side front wheel.”
“See?”Remi surges forward, sticking his head between the two front seats.“I told you.”
“Well, I can’t hear anything,” Linc returns defensively.
“That’s because you’re not sitting in the passenger seat, you dunce.”
“We’ve gotta get that fixed right away, kid,” I interject before these guys go at it.“Or that wheel could seize up or even fall off.You can’t drive like this, it’s dangerous.Why don’t you head straight for the firehouse.”
“You’re not serious, are you?”
“As a heart attack, kid,” I confirm.
Just then my phone pings with a text message.
???
Look forward to an explanation when I get there.
Tessa
“I hearyou’ve had some excitement?”
I look up to find Savvy walking toward the front desk, carrying that little nugget of hers.My arms instinctively reach out for the baby.Luckily, Savvy isn’t too greedy and easily hands him over.
“Well, hello, handsome little man.Aren’t you a little young for bring-your-kid-to-work day?”I coo at the baby.
His eyes are open, but at only two months old, he doesn’t have a whole lot to say yet.
“We had to get out.The walls are closing in on me.”
“I remember those days.How is life with an infant?”
She shrugs as she rounds the desk, wheels over another desk chair, and takes a seat.
“Quiet.I mean, I feel like I’m feeding him nonstop, and I have a load of laundry every day, but other than eating, sleeping, and pooping up a storm, he’s pretty low maintenance.I’m worried it won’t last though,” she shares.
