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“I’ll be gentle. Let’s give it a try.”
“Alright.” I carried her to the gym table, intending to apply some oil. I need to rub oil on your legs. Can I give you something of my sisters to wear?”
“No. I’ll do that tomorrow.”
“Alright, but starting tomorrow, we will rub your legs down first.” I began gently massaging her legs, surprised she was letting me do this. “Can you turn onto your stomach?”
“I have a proposal for you. A simple yes or no will do. How about staying here? You’ll have someone close to assist you. I don’t think your aunts can take care of you. They’re welcome to visit as often as they’d like, but let’s be realistic; if you were to fall, they’d need to call for help.”
“I know, but I hate to hurt their feelings; otherwise, I’d consider your offer.” It was clear she was just being polite. There was no way she would stay. Hmm, I might just fix it, so she had to accept.
“When I carried her inside, the Randal sisters were there to greet us. I placed Charlotte in a chair and then fetched her wheelchair from her room. All three of them watched me closely. “I thought you might want your wheelchair. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me,” I said, glancing at Charlotte’s aunts and smiling. I offered Charlotte the option to stay at my home for better assistance, but she didn’t want to offend you,” I said, noting their exchanged glances.
“I think that will be a wonderful idea,” Hilary exclaimed. “Let me pack her things; if we forget anything, we’ll bring it over to you.”
“But you wanted me here so you could care for me,” Charlie protested.
“Yes, but Steel is better equipped for that than we are, Molly interjected. “I packed all of your bathroom items. We’ll visit you every day. Do you need anything else?”
I had to bite my jaw to keep from smiling at the look on Charlotte’s face. I realized this had been easier than I thought. I picked her up and carried her back out to the truck, then retrieved her wheelchair while the aunts carried out her bags.
“Wait, just a moment. If I do not stay here, I’m going home. I came here because you begged for me to come here. I’ll call my Uncle to pick me up. I can’t live in a man’s house I barely know,” Charlie declared.
“You know me,” I asserted.
“No, I don’t. I was a child the last time I saw you, and that wasn’t a pleasant moment in my life. Thank you for the offer, but I can’t accept.”
“Be honest with me; can anyone at your home provide as much help as I can?”
“That’s not what this is about…” Charlotte began, but I knew I had to convince her to stay. I don’t know why I just know I did.
“Do you want to regain the ability to move freely around this area? If so, stay with me, and let me assist you. There are always people at my house. You can trust me; I won’t do anything other than help you to walk again.”
“Okay, but only for a month, and my aunts have to visit me daily.”
“We’ll be there tomorrow, and I’ll bring anything left behind, Aunt Molly said, smiling.”
I wanted to get the hell out of there before Charlie changed her mind. So, I backed the vehicle up and left.
28
Charlie
How the hell did this happen? Here I am sitting in Levi’s house while he prepares lunch for us.
“Hello, I remember you. Charlie, right?”
“Yes. Jaz, I remember you too, but who are these two sweetie pies?” I said, looking down at the cute little toddlers.
“These are my boys, Caleb and Cruise. So, how are you doing? I heard about your accident. That must have been a nightmare for you.”
“Yes, it was. Levi is going to help me get my legs stronger so I can walk again.”
“That’s wonderful news. If anyone can do it, it’s Steel,” I watched as she reached down and handed the boys some carrot sticks.
“Your boys are beautiful; they must bring you a lot of joy,” I said, watching them sit quietly and eat their snacks. I hoped to have my own kids someday, but my doctor said that might not happen because of all the damage I sustained.
“Are you okay?” Levi asked. That’s when I realized my eyes were welling up. I quickly blinked away the tears.
