A thought comes to me. “What do you say we celebrate?” I’m looking atAubrey.
“Ice cream!” Claire yells. The child definitely has my affinity forsweets.
“Actually,” I say, “I was thinking of a weekend trip. Somewhere wooded. A little cooler. We can do an easy hike, and Claire can usebothher arms to explore. What do you think?” My eyes haven’t leftAubrey.
Just a moment ago, she was so excited for Claire. Now she looks guarded.Wary.
“I want to go to the woods and hike.” Claire’s grinning. “Please,Mom?”
Aubrey hesitates. I point to her coffee cup. She looks down at the words on it and does a quick eye-roll.
I mouth the words to her.I Mom SoHard.
“Hiking and nature exploration sound like the perfect way to start using that arm again.” She smiles at Claire “If you’re finished, please go get your backpack. It’s almost time toleave.”
Claire runs toward her room. Aubrey turns her worried eyes onme.
“Is this a goodidea?”
Knowing Aubrey, she’s drawing up a risk analysis in her head. She’s back to being careful Aubrey, but lastnight…
“Is it a good idea to skip breakfast?” I challenge her. I’ve discovered she needs it. The challenge, I mean. She’s competitive. Challenging her to something is the most effective way of getting her to openup.
“Typically, no.” She narrows her eyes. “Why?”
“You worked up an appetite last night, Sixty. I thought you’d be hungry this morning.” I take Claire’s empty plate and walk away, laughing tomyself.
Claire returns, backpack dragging behindher.
Aubrey swoops it onto her shoulder. “We’ll see you in a couple hours.” Claire marches in front of Aubrey, so she can’t see her mother when she sticks her tongue out atme.
I say goodbye to Claire and watch them leave. I feel like celebrating. Not only did I get Aubrey to agree to a weekend away, but I won something else too. One more brick removed from Aubrey’s wall. Another chink in her armor. She’s a beautiful bronze statue covered in cement, and I’m the guy with the hammer and chisel, breaking apart the heavy burdens laid uponher.
* * *
Ilove seeingAubrey likethis.
She has her hair piled on top of her head in a messy ball, and on her face is the most carefree smile I’ve ever seen. After ninety minutes of driving, she put her bare feet up on the dash. Red-polished toenails wiggling, she’d asked if Iminded.
I told her no. What I kept to myself was the fact that everything about her, including her cute feet, was making it harder to concentrate. But, seeing as how my whole life is in my truck right now, I focused on theroad.
Claire fell asleep after a bathroom break fifteen minutes ago, her head slumped against the side of her car seat. She has her left arm bent across her body, as if it’s still in acast.
Aubrey looks back at her. “Do you think she’scomfortable?”
I shrug. “Comfortable enough to fallasleep.”
“But her arm…” Aubrey bites her lip. I think about telling her tostop.
She faces front. “That skin was sogross.”
Perfect. The switch to that subject isexactlywhat I need rightnow.
“I should have warned you. Sorry.” I don’t think of it as gross anymore. Aubrey, however… She was shocked when the cast cameoff.
“What’s that?” She’d asked with alarmed eyes, pointing at the dead skin covering Claire’sarm.
I felt bad. Normally I tell my patients ahead of time, but I keep forgetting Claire and Aubrey are mypatients.
