Page 35 of Saving Forever with the Hockey Captain

Running shoes.

Three T-shirts.

Five pairs of socks.

Enough snacks to survive a minor apocalypse.

I shake my head. "He packs like somebody's grandmother."

Annette smiles. "I like him already."

I pull out one of the navy T-shirts.

Simple. Soft. Home.

Getting the sling off takes longer than I expect.

Getting one arm through the sleeve isn't much better.

I manage my right arm.

Easy enough.

The left side...

Not happening.

The shirt bunches beneath my arm.

I try again. Twist. Stop.

Pain shoots from my shoulder straight across my ribs.

I freeze.

Maybe another angle. I pull gently with my right hand. The fabric catches again.

I grit my teeth. Don't force it. One more try. The shirt ends up halfway over my head. My injured arm refuses to cooperate. For one ridiculous moment I'm trapped inside my own T-shirt.

Wonderful.

I hear a chair scrape softly across the floor.

Annette has been pretending to review the chart. Giving me privacy. Giving me dignity. She waits another few seconds.

Long enough to be sure I've truly reached the end of my options.

Then...

Very quietly...

"Mr. Walker?"

My voice comes out muffled somewhere inside the cotton.

"Hmm?"

"Would you like another set of hands?"