Carefully, I opened my eyes and struggled to sit up a little. “Hey.”
“Don’t hurt yourself. No need to get up just yet.” Beside him was the nurse, pushing a wheelchair.
“Time to go home,” the nurse singsonged.
She helped me into the wheelchair and pushed me out to Micah’s car. I was grateful it was a sedan, not a big-ass pickup truck, so I didn’t have to climb to get in. Once he was in, he passed my phone to me.
“Call your mom. She’s worried. They want to cancel their trip.”
“Oh God, their trip.” I groaned. “They can’t do that.”
“She was ready to come home last night, but I talked her off the ledge. Give her a call now before she books flights.”
I chuckled softly, pain shooting through my ribs as I did, before dialing my mom’s number. She answered immediately.
“Baby, are you okay? We’re coming home.”
“Hi Mom. I’m okay. Don’t cancel your trip.”
“Asher, be serious. Of course we’ll come home.”
“Mom, I am being serious. No need. I’m fine. I can take care of myself, and if I can’t, I’ve got friends here. Jackson can help.”
She hesitated. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. Promise. This trip is your bucket-list trip. See Europe. Enjoy the cruise.”
“You’ll call if you need anything?”
“Mom. I’ll be fine.”
“Okay. I love you.”
“Love you too, Mom.” When we hung up, I glanced at Micah. He was grinning ear to ear. “What’s so funny?”
He shook his head. “I told them the same thing last night. I hope I didn’t overstep. After I told them you didn’t need them tocome home, I started to worry that I was wrong and you would want them. Glad I didn’t miss the mark.”
“Thanks,” I murmured. “I appreciate it.”
It wasn’t long until we were back to my house and Micah was helping me hobble up the few front steps and inside. The moment I got settled into my old, comfy recliner, I sighed, deeply relieved that the saga was over. That would teach me to get confident on a ladder, that was for damn sure. Or to ever get on a ladder again for that matter. Micah brought me a blanket, the remote for the TV, and a glass of water before we said our goodbyes.
“Thanks, man. I owe you one.”
“Don’t worry about it. What are friends for?”
“Sure thing.”
With that, he was gone. My head still ached and I wasn’t due for another dose of ibuprofen for a few hours, so I reclined the chair, closed my eyes, and attempted to nap. Sleep wasn’t forthcoming, unfortunately, so I figured I’d maybe take some acetaminophen to see if that helped with the pain, and maybe get a shower. I gingerly stood up from my recliner and hobbled into the kitchen for the pills. Gripping the bottle in my good hand, I tried to wrestle off the cap, but that didn’t work at all. I switched hands, but the pain in my shoulder made it difficult to hold the bottle tightly enough.
Just as I was about to give up, my front door opened, and in walked Micah with a backpack slung over one shoulder and a duffel bag in one hand.
“Um…” I didn’t know what to say.
“I’m moving in.”
I blinked a couple of times before responding. “What?”
A slow grin formed on Micah’s face. “Look, I know you didn’t ask me to, and I know you probably don’t even want the help, but you’re going to need someone to take care of you. Yourconcussion is no joke, and on top of that, your shoulder and ribs are going to take time to heal. I can’t be here all the time, obviously, because of work, but I want to help as much as possible. You’re going to need it. I don’t want you suffering here alone.”
