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“Janessa isn’t doing well.” Even saying the words felt like a knife being stabbed into his heart. “I want to help her, but there’s nothing I can do but pray.”
“Dan and Cathy are both concerned, but Janessa is refusing any kind of mental health help. The kids have been trying to talk with her, but even they aren’t able to reach her.”
Tears threatened to fall again, and this time, Will didn’t fight to hold them back. His mom had seen him at his worst since the accident, and she would never judge him for crying out his pain over the situation with Janessa.
“Oh, my darling.” His mom’s arms went around him. “I so wish I could take this pain from you. All of it.”
She held him as he cried, then went to get him tissues when he was done. Sitting back down on the ottoman, she took his hand in hers.
“We will get through this,” she said, her voice filled with a confidence that he didn’t feel right in that moment. “All of us will. Many people are praying for you and Janessa. You know that the church’s prayer chain started up as soon as we received news of what had happened. People have continued to pray every day since then.”
“I appreciate that.” Will really did, but honestly, there were moments he felt despair over it all. It felt like God wasn’t answering the prayers that he and many others were offering on Janessa’s behalf.
“Do you need to use the bathroom or want something to eat?”
He wasn’t hungry—hadn’t been very hungry since the accident—but he knew his mom needed to do things for him. It made her feel better when she was helping.
“I could probably eat.”
“Wonderful.” She squeezed his arm, then got up. “Do you want to eat in the kitchen?”
Since he spent a lot of time alone these days, Will would rather have company when he could. With his mom’s help, he made it into the wheelchair, then she pushed him into the kitchen.
Without even asking him, she made tomato soup and grilled cheese, which was another one of the comfort foods that she made for her family whenever they weren’t feeling well. It ranked right up there with her chicken noodle soup.
As she worked, she chatted about stuff going on at the church. With it being December, Christmas events were in full swing. If he’d been feeling more mobile and capable of dealing with crowds of people, he’d be planning to attend them all.
But as it was, he really wasn’t in the festive mood.
Thanksgiving had been spent in the hospital, though his mom had had a dinner for them once he’d come home. It had been very low key, though. Even Reese and Isaac had been subdued.
His mom usually decorated the house for Christmas on the day after Thanksgiving. That year, she hadn’t decorated until Will had convinced her that he wanted her to do it. That it would be good for all of them.
So finally, she’d had Reese and Isaac come over for dinner, and then they’d helped decorate the tree. Will couldn’t do much, but it was a nice distraction from all the other stuff going on.
Now, Christmas was not that far away, and his excitement over spending his first holiday season with Janessa as his girlfriend had disappeared in a cloud of pain and hurt. He was anxious for the new year, because it would mean the holidays were over, and he’d hopefully have his casts off and be back to teaching.
“I think Reese and Isaac will be here for supper tonight,” his mom said as she cleaned up the dishes she’d used to make his meal.
“Why?” Previously, the only time they’d all gotten together was for Sunday dinner, and even then, it hadn’t been every week.
His mom rested her hand on his shoulder. “I don’t like to think about it, but darling, we nearly lost you. It shook us all up a little.”
Will let out a huff. “So, it only takes me having a close brush with death for my siblings to appreciate me, huh?”
“They’ve always appreciated you,” his mom said as she moved back to the sink. “But something like this is a shock, and they were both frantic with worry. We all were.”
Will could only imagine. He knew from what Jay had shared that the Halversons had reacted similarly.
“So what are you making us?” he asked.
They chatted a bit more, then Will decided to go lay down for a bit. His mom pushed the wheelchair into the bathroom, then left him. It was exhausting to do the simple things he’d never thought twice about doing before, and he felt like napping even more when he was done in the bathroom.
“Just text me when you want to get up,” his mom said once he was settled in bed.
She closed the door as she left the room, plunging it into darkness. The windows had room darkening blinds, which Will appreciated. The darkness helped him forget that he was back in his childhood room. He’d shared the space with Isaac then, but now, instead of two twin beds, the room held a comfortable queen-size bed.
He used the many pillows on the bed to support his casted limbs in order to get comfortable. Well, comfortable was a stretch. But at least he wasn’t completelyuncomfortable.
