Alex
The months that followed were grueling. Tuesday had to put her life on hold and focus solely on getting stronger. She was in a wheelchair for months. The endless physical and occupational therapy helped her to make strides but wore her out. It was more important than ever that she knew I was by her side and would do anything and everything to help her regain her life.
The Palmers have been great about letting me spend so much time at their home. I’ve practically moved in. With my rotating schedule at the fire department, it only made sense for Sunny to stay in her home, where she could receive therapy, and her mother or father could assist her if I was on duty.
Yet she’s come a long way, and the time has come to regain some privacy.
“Why are you so jumpy?” I ask as we sit in the waiting room of her orthopedic surgeon’s office.
“I don’t know. It feels like graduation day. That this visit could mark the start of so many new things after all of this time. Not needing constant supervision, getting my life back, returning to work at Cygnature Blooms-”
“Moving in with me,” I interrupt.
Tuesday beams at me.
“Tuesday,” the nurse calls from the doorway.
We stand and follow her down the hall to Dr. Knight’s office. She ushers us inside and reassures us he will be with us shortly. Looking about the room, there are no personal photos or mementos—just various certificates and degrees on display.
All of a sudden, Dr. Knight appears and greets us before sitting down. Tuesday looks at me and smiles before reaching for my hand. Shit. I know this girl loves me. She didn’t bat an eye when doctor tall, rich, and handsome walked in. Orthopedist extraordinaire Dr. Holden Knight is impressive. He’s talented, good-looking, and appears pretty humble. I mean, I’m a dude, and I’d hit that.
“I wanted to start by saying how impressed I am with your tenacity, Ms. Palmer. You’ve endured quite a tragic accident and bounced back impressively. While you’ll still likely face some obstacles, I think the worst is behind you.”
“I’m glad you brought that up, Dr. Knight. It’s not something I’m considering anytime soon. But I want to be clear on what the future holds.”
Confused, I turn to see she’s struggling to finish her statement.
“Can I still have kids?”
I get a lump in my throat. How had I never even considered this before? I guess it’s only natural for a woman to contemplate this after all she’s been through. This could be devastating for her. Me too, if I’m being honest. But I’m not opposed to adoption if we need to. So long as she’s okay, we’ll figure out the rest.
“I’m glad you brought that up. It’s a misconception that most people with pelvic fractures, such as yours, cannot have children. Some may require cesarean section versus delivering vaginally, but the majority have healthy pregnancies without complication.”
Tuesday visibly exhales, and I can see her shoulders relax. My heart clenches at the sight. I didn’t realize how much this had been weighing on her.
“The other area I would encourage you to feel free to discuss with me is intercourse.”
What the fuck?I drop Tuesday’s hand as both of mine ball into fists. Okay, maybe I’ll be hitting him in a different way.
He must notice my face reddening and quickly interjects, “This is an area many find embarrassing to talk over with their doctor. And unfortunately, I suspect many of my colleagues may prefer to avoid the discussion altogether. Yet it’s important. This can obviously affect your quality of life. Some patients, men and women, can struggle with intercourse following a fracture like yours. Only time will tell. But it’s not uncommon for patients to have long-term struggles. If this becomes an issue for you, please let me know. There are pelvic floor exercises that can be performed with physical therapy, biofeedback, lots of options. I don’t want you to suffer in silence.”
I sit back in my seat dumbfounded. I never considered this either. Purely focused on her recovery, it never dawned on me this could be a problem down the road. But it’s not surprising. I’m glad he was so forthright about it.This fucker really is smooth.
* * *
Having left Dr. Knight’s office with a little more spring in her step, we decide to grab lunch before returning home.
“Do you feel good about how things went?”
“Yes.” She nods over her turkey club.
“I hadn’t thought about the impact this could have on our sex life,” I admit.
“Me either. I only worried about carrying a baby to term with hardware holding my pelvis together. I never considered sex could be a problem.”
“I need you to be honest when the time comes. Please don’t shut me out if you’re in pain or having any issues. I want to know what you’re feeling.”
She reaches out to squeeze my hand. “I have a good feeling about us. I think we’ll find a way to overcome whatever life throws at us.”
