"Me too.” The three-hour nap had restored her energy. “I only hope it doesn't keep me from sleeping tonight."
She was stuck in a vicious cycle. Physical exertion wore her out, so she napped. But napping made it hard to sleep at night, which only left her more tired the next day.
"That's what your sleeping pills are for." Dad gave her a stern look.
"I know, but they make me more sluggish the next day."
Dad nodded in understanding as he buttered a roll. "What did you think of Dr. Rivera?"
Gorgeous. Charming. Kind. Killer eyelashes.
So many words came to mind but voicing them felt inappropriate.
"He's handsome," Mom said when Paige didn't answer right away.
Took the words right out of my mouth.
Not that she'd ever admit to her father that she found her physical therapist attractive.
"And young," Mom added.
"Good thing he's not thirty years older, huh?" Paige's dad winked at her mom. "Or I might have some competition."
"No." Mom waved a hand in dismissal then she wiggled her eyebrows at Paige. “But when you finish PT, we should arrange for you to get to know Dr. Rivera on a personal level.”
“Oh please, Mom, no.” Paige was done with men.
Dad's gaze shifted back to Paige just as she shoved a bite of chicken in her mouth. "Well, now I know what your mom thinks of the new physical therapist, but what do you think of him, Paige?"
She took her time chewing as she debated how to respond. She was tempted to echo her mom's words, because Gabe was definitely young and handsome. And strong too. He had the kind of thick, wavy hair that made her want to plunge her fingers in and mess it up. But she doubted that's what her father wanted to hear. He was interested in Gabe's professional abilities.
"He seems to know his stuff," Paige finally said after swallowing. "He had me do a much broader range of exercises than the therapists at the rehab center."
He also rolled up his sleeves, exposing muscular forearms, and spent nearly twenty minutes helping her stretch at the end of her session and massaging her tight muscles. The therapists at the rehab center had never done that.
"You'll feel each and every one of those exercises tomorrow, I'm sure." Dad chuckled. "But you'll start seeing real progress soon in your ability to get around and do things."
"I hope so." Paige was tired of being an invalid, and even more tired of being treated like one.
Gabe was right. She was stronger than she thought. Surprisingly,she'd made it through two and a half hours of PT. Most of the exercises caused some discomfort, but it felt amazing to move again.
"Now that you're on your way to full recovery, what are your plans?" Dad asked as he cut a piece of chicken.
The question took Paige by surprise, because for over two months all she’d thought about was making it through each day.
Dad gave her an apologetic look. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make it sound like we're trying to get rid of you already."
"You should be," Paige said. "You've been sitting by my hospital bed and visiting me in the rehabilitation center for over two months. I'm as ready to get on with my life as you are, believe me." She took a bite of her mashed potatoes and let them melt in her mouth before she spoke again. "I'm just not sure what that looks like right now."
"It's okay, honey." Mom put a hand on her arm. "Emotional healing can take as long—sometimes even longer—than physical healing."
To avoid questions concerning her accident and Phillip's absence at the hospital, she'd told her parents she and Phillip had broken up. She'd led them to believe he'd dumped her, which was essentially true, since he'd set a wedding date with another woman.
"The school year is almost over. You have the whole summer to decide on your next steps." Mom changed the subject. "I assume you still have a position at your school to return to next year?"
When Principal Stevens heard Paige had been hit by a car and nearly died, he hadn't balked at giving her all the time off she needed, even when she ran out of PTO. He'd found an excellent long-term substitute to fill in for her, and the other second-grade teachers had rallied around the sub, helping with lesson plans and providing support.
Paige had been miffed about being replaced so easily, but when she realized what a long recovery she had ahead of her, the disappointment turned into gratitude.
