by Unknown
*
He wheeled himself into the guest bedroom. When the accident happened, his mom and sister moved many of the items from his bedroom closet on the third level down to the first floor. Brad was glad there was only one step to the front door of his colonial three-story house. It was easy to build a small ramp for him to wheel himself to his front door.
He transferred onto the bed dressed in Calvin Klein pajama bottoms and a white T-shirt. Before he left the hospital, an occupational therapist had taught him how to put on his pants.
Six months earlier, he couldn’t bend his knee or move his leg much. She’d shown him how to use his ‘other hand,’ with a reacher.
At first Brad felt embarrassed. There he was, a forty-two-year-old man being taught how to put on his pants by a stranger. He soon got over the shame—better to be grateful someone was there to help him.
Ironically, the accident made him do what his mother had been singing in his ears for years—“slow down.” But he hadn’t built a successful business, bought his mother a house, and given his sister money to help his nephew pay for college by sitting on his laurels. Work had to be done. It was the work on his desk he was thinking about when he’d made the wrong left turn. He saw the little girl jerk forward, heard the parents scream as he roughly steered his car to avoid theirs. The impact was loud. Many nights after, Brad heard the sound of clashing metal until the sedative dulled the noise and he began to sleep.
He took the bottle of sleeping pills out of the nightstand drawer and shook out two blue tablets. Brad hoped when he was back on his feet and more active he wouldn’t need the sleep aid. He popped two tablets into his mouth, followed by a gulp of water. “You’re one step closer,” Brad said aloud. It was a mantra he repeated every night before he began to drift away.
Chapter Four
The jolly ringtone was misleading because it dampened Dawn’s mood when she saw the caller ID. It was her ex-husband.
She sighed. When he’d first started calling, Gary’s calls flattered her. Now they only reminded her of their painful history together. She was glad Sherine was almost an official adult because it limited Dawn’s need to contact Gary. Her spousal support checks came in the mail and were promptly deposited the next day. Even though Dawn didn’t think Gary would try anything, she didn’t take any chances.
She’d witnessed Kenzie’s dilemma when Kenzie’s spousal support check was cancelled after her ex-husband got wind of her new love interest. The blow-up between the exes after it was cancelled two months in a row wasn’t pretty. Gossip about the situation had made its way up and down Bon Avenue. Wives planning to leave their husbands took note. In Dawn’s case, she had her lawyer add a clause about cancelled checks to safeguard herself.
Gary had been leaving reconciliation voice messages a day late and a dollar short. One whole year after the divorce was finalized, Dawn thought.
He missed his family.
The first time Dawn heard him say it, a knot formed in her stomach. She’d always felt Gary underappreciated her and Sherine. But the more he sang the same song, the more Dawn thought he was lying. She doubted his mistress had time to cook him a good meal. Then again, Dawn tried not to waste time thinking about Gary.
How many times did he choose a work conference over staying at home? How many times did he choose a golf game, time with his buddies, and time with his mistress over Dawn?
Now he claimed he missed his family. But he no longer had one as far as Dawn was concerned. Hers was a family of two.
She knew she shouldn’t be entertaining the idea of giving Gary another chance. But he wanted one and so Dawn sometimes toyed with the idea, to her annoyance.
“It was a terrible mistake,” he’d said.
Dawn lay in her queen size bed and stared at the roof. The phone rang again. Dawn knew there was soft spot in her heart for Gary. She avoided the call because she didn’t want him working on her brain.
She closed her eyes. Maybe she could get ten more minutes of shut-eye before she got up to start her day. She’d begun to doze off when the phone startled her.
“Shit.” She huffed and picked it up. She stared at the screen but didn’t recognize the number. “Hello,” Dawn’s voice cracked. I should get up.
“Hi, Dawn. It’s Brad.”
She propped herself on her right elbow. “How you doing?”
“I’m good. I wanted to set a time for our date.”
They planned to meet at a cozy restaurant in Bethesda that specialised in Tex-Mex and American cuisine. Gary’s voice sent positive vibes along Dawn’s spine. She found herself smiling as she talked to him and hoped their date would be enjoyable for both of them.
She ended their conversation. We’ll get a chance to get to know each other better later.
Dawn scrolled through her call log as she slowly got out of bed. She’d been thinking about it for a while—but didn’t want to do it. Her finger hovered over Gary’s name. Dawn was tempted to open her contact list and block her ex-husband’s number. But random thoughts including ‘what if there’s an emergency?’ always popped into her mind.
As Sherine’s father, Gary needs to have access to me. She sighed and flipped on the bathroom light. The two-story townhouse was modest compared to the lavish Bon Avenue home Dawn once lived in. But her new place was comfortable enough.
Dawn wouldn’t say she was thrilled to be sleeping in bed alone. But the divorce had brought about some unexpected benefits—namely peace of mind. She was sleeping alone without worrying where her husband was at night.
She wet her toothbrush and squeezed on some Colgate. She turned when the phone began ringing on her bed once again. As she brushed her teeth, Dawn decided that something had to be done about Gary. She’d told him she wasn’t interested in them getting back together, but maybe he didn’t believe her. And why would he, she’d been submissive for so long?
Maybe he sensed uncertainty in her voice. She shook her head, turned on the tap, and rinsed out her mouth. She had to remain firm with herself. There was no way she’d become one of those women who’d let her past suffocate everything good in her life.
Chapter Five
The cool breeze that flowed through the air and the canopy of a clear starlit sky made the night feel magical.
Dawn had spent an extra twenty minutes on her makeup. She’d tried on three shades of lipstick, wanting to wear the most appealing shade with her outfit. The blush dusted on her cheeks was a flattering brownish-red, and the foundation matched so perfectly, Dawn’s skin looked dewy and youthful.
She wore a short-sleeved white dress that flowed just pass her knees, with a black belt and black heels.
She entered the restaurant, a cool gust of wind fluttering the hem of her skirt. She spotted Brad at a table for two near the window.
Brad smiled when he saw her. “Hello, gorgeous.”
Dawn smiled. “Hi.”
“It’s nice to see you again.” He looked at her good and steady. “That dress looks fantastic on you.”
Dawn ran a finger just behind her ear. Her hair was styled long and wavy. She hadn’t heard compliments from a man in a long time, and she ate Brad’s praise up. “Thanks, you look great too.” Brad wore a white button down shirt that didn’t hide a fit body underneath. She couldn’t see his pants as he sat in the wheelchair. “I guess we’re matching tonight.”
Brad sighed. “People may look at us and assume we’re one of those matchy-matchy couples.”
Dawn laughed. She liked his sense of humor. “Well, I’ve got a fantastic sense of style, so you can follow my lead.”
Brad leaned forward, scooting his elbows onto the table. “All right. Well, I believe in equal rights. A man has to let a woman take the lead sometimes.”
She gave him a sexy look, and Brad raised an eyebrow, his eyes responsive to Dawn’s attention.
A waiter came to the table and introduced himself.
Brad gestured for Dawn to order first.
“I’m so hungry,�
�� she said. “I think I’ll order my drink and food together.”
“Yes sir.” Brad tapped the table. “I’d like to do the same. What’s the point of sipping your drink, waiting for the waiter to come take your food order? Meantime, your stomach’s growling with hunger pangs? Especially, if you get a waiter that takes a long time to return.”
They ordered and the waiter assured the couple that the drinks and food would be “back in a jiffy,” before taking off.
“Speaking of food, why did you get into the catering business?”
Dawn smiled and explained to him that she’d always known she was a good cook. Many times friends and family members would ask Dawn to bring their favorite dish of hers to an event—baked macaroni and cheese, grilled pineapple chicken, eggplant parmesan—the list went on. After her divorce, she decided to go to school and get a certificate in what was once an everyday hobby.
Brad listened. He asked her a few questions about her business and Dawn was excited to talk about the process and what she’d learned so far. Brad gave her some tips about running a successful business, and Dawn listened with rapt attention to the established entrepreneur.
Then Brad asked a question that took Dawn by surprise. “So you and your ex-husband are completely done?” The shock must’ve shown on her face, because he quickly interjected that Laurel had told him Dawn was recently divorced.
“Recently?” Dawn adamantly shook her head. “We’ve been done for two years. Divorced for one.”
He chuckled nervously. “I don’t mean to sound insecure or pry, but I’d like to get to know you better. Sometimes, when people meet, one person may still have unresolved issues with an ex. I just witnessed a buddy of mine go through some drama and I’m not up for it.”
Dawn listened with patience. She would’ve gotten miffed if she didn’t understand Brad’s point. It was a valid question for many reasons.
She’d drive home to a beautiful townhouse after their date—paid for by her ex-husband’s spousal support payments. She and Gary’d had a beautiful child together and still kept in contact because of this. And once in a while they’d both show up at the same event—they couldn’t divide the mutual friends they shared.
Dawn shook her head. “You don’t have to worry about my ex. “We’ve got a great kid together.” Dawn laughed. “Well, a kid to me, but she’s almost an adult.”
“In college?”
“Yep.”
“Where?”
She told him that Sherine was local, attending the University of Virginia. “She comes home almost every weekend. At least so far. I have a two bedroom place.” Dawn wanted to tell him how great Sherine was. How she’d gotten into Stanford, but opted to attend a local university. Dawn wanted to tell Brad how one night while Sherine’s parents were going through a bitter divorce and her mother was crying on the bed yet another night, Sherine had sat next to Dawn and wrapped her arms around her. “I’m going to UVA,” she’d said. Dawn had objected and told her to go to Stanford. “Don’t stay here because of me,” she told her daughter, wiping away the tears. But Sherine had refused, telling Dawn that both schools were tied on her short list, that UVA offered more scholarship money. She’d stick around, get a great education, and “make sure that my mom’s all right.”
That night, when Dawn’s eyes were red and puffy and she was debating within herself if she could make it in life without her husband, became Dawn’s proudest moment. One great thing had come out of her marriage to Gary—their daughter.
It was that night that Dawn vowed she’d be there for herself. She wouldn’t let her daughter down.
She didn’t tell Brad that story though. Maybe one day, she thought optimistically. She didn’t want to scare the man off.
“Great school. I went there!”
“Really?”
He nodded. “I grew up in Virginia. It’s a tough school to get into. You must be very proud.”
Dawn nodded. “I am.”
The waiter came with their drinks. They talked while Brad drank a mojito and Dawn sipped her cranberry juice. Soon, the waiter returned with two piping hot plates. Dawn ate chicken parmesan over spaghetti and Brad ate a steak, baked potato, and sautéed vegetables.
She enjoyed talking to him. Brad was easy-going, confident, and slightly self-depreciating. He talked with ease about the mistakes he’d made setting up his accounting business. Dawn appreciated his openness.
After dinner they went outside. Dawn offered to walk Brad to his car. He chuckled when she did this, but she insisted. She wanted to make sure he was in his vehicle safely. She felt nervous asking him something she was curious about. As he wheeled himself slowly alongside her, she thought she’d bite the bullet and ask.
“How come you sat in a regular chair at your office, but in your wheelchair tonight?”
Brad glanced up at her. “Well, I have to sit in the office for hours at a time, so I try to make myself as comfortable as possible, hence the nice cushy office chair.”
Dawn smiled and nodded.
“But, if I’m out otherwise, I mostly stay in the wheelchair.”
“Oh.” They hadn’t talked about why Brad was in a wheelchair during their entire date. Dawn hadn’t asked Laurel anything about it, because she didn’t want her friend to be in the mix of Dawn’s affairs. Now, Dawn felt comfortable asking.
Her phone began to ring loudly inside her purse. Damn it. She’d forgotten to put it on silent. “Excuse me,” she said to Brad as they reached his car.
Dawn took out her phone and looked at the screen. It was Gary. She didn’t know whether to answer or not. Her not answering might look funny to Brad. She didn’t want him to think she was hiding something, so she answered. “Hello.”
Gary wanted to know if they could meet over drinks later in the week. Dawn rolled her eyes. “I don’t think so.” Gary’s voice was soft but melancholy. He “really wanted to meet up with her.” Before he could go any further, Dawn cut him off. Not only did she not want to have the conversation with Gary, but she didn’t want to be rude to Brad. “I have to go. Later,” she said, hanging up the phone before she could get a response. She turned it off.
She sighed, suddenly feeling shaky. She’d been on a nice date with a nice guy, but Dawn didn’t know if love was worth the risk.
“Are you okay?”
Dawn looked down. Brad’s eyes showed concern. She nodded.
“I can tell you were thinking about something serious.”
Dawn laughed dryly and nodded. “I guess you’re perceptive.” She leaned against his car. “I don’t know if I should say this, but, I’m not sure if trying to find love’s worth the risk. So often people get hurt.”
“Ahh.” Brad nodded and glanced away. “Well, since we’re saying things we maybe shouldn’t say,”
“Ohh, ohh.” Dawn pulled back and looked at him in mock horror.
Brad laughed. “This kind of connection doesn’t come along very often,” he began. “I say us getting to know one another’s worth the risk. To be frank, you met me in a wheelchair but you had no qualms about going on a date with me. You’re a different kind of woman, Ms. Delany. I’d like to see more of you.” Brad looked down somewhat bashfully. “When I’m up and about again, there’s something I think we’ll have a blast doing.”
For a second, Dawn was puzzled. “You’ll be able to walk again?”
Brad nodded. “Walking or not, a man like me knows how to treat a woman like you.”
Dawn arched an eyebrow. “So, you define yourself as a good man?”
A cool breeze flowed around them.
“Without a doubt.” Brad wheeled closer to her. “And if the saying’s true, good men are hard to find.”
Dawn glanced at her heels before her eyes roved up and met Brad’s gaze. “Yes they are.”
Chapter Six
Brad wheeled himself up the sidewalk. He hated sidewalks with inclines. He could picture his physical therapists saying the work would only strengthen his arms. He sighed.
It was a journey he made every week. He had to see her. It always seemed like his showing up brightened her day.
“Hey, Amanda.”
“Hi.” The little girl beamed. She was sitting up in the rehab center’s bed, with her mother at her side.
“I see the cast is off your leg!” Brad said enthusiastically.
Amanda smiled and nodded.
If it were up to Brad, he would have gladly reversed time so that neither of them had to be at the rehab clinic at that moment.
Sometimes he thought back to the day of the accident. He wished he’d only followed his initial thought and made a left turn toward the highway. Instead he heeded the ringing phone in his car and continued driving straight. He’d make a pit stop at the grocery store, then head home.
He’d only turned his head to check that there was no car behind him as he switched lanes. The next thing he knew there was a crash. He saw his body fling forward. Saw the surprise on the family’s faces in the next vehicle. He was confused. He hadn’t seen the vehicle as it continued through a red light from the right while other cars lingered at the traffic light.
The screeching brakes of the other car alerted Brad as he pulled hard on his own steering wheel to minimize the impact.
Then he couldn’t help himself.
His body felt like it wasn’t his as the airbag pounded into it, acting as a shield. He sat there for a few seconds in a daze. He heard a strange man’s voice, calling the names of two people. Then another man’s voice. Someone was trying to help. Brad had grimaced, a sudden sharp pain biting into his flesh, and closed his eyes.
I’m alive, he’d thought. Help would come soon.
Now, he visited the little girl involved in the accident every week at the rehab facility she stayed at to receive intense therapy. She hadn’t been wearing her seatbelt, which resulted in multiple injuries.
