He pushed aside the lawnmower, some cardboard boxes, and a ladder to make a clear path to pull the bike out. It still appeared to be in pristine condition, a blessing for today’s plans, but it also made him sad to think of the unfulfilled promises this unused bike held.
Using a rag he found on one of the shelves, he wiped a light layer of dust from the seat. Just as he was closing the doors behind him, Samantha returned with two glasses of lemonade, as requested.
Logan grabbed one of the glasses and downed thetart liquid in two large gulps. He hadn’t realized how thirsty he’d gotten. Eager to finish everything on his list, he’d been at it all day, only stopping to scarf down a quick peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Teaching Samantha to ride a bike would be a good break from the physical labor he’d been doing that day.
He set the glass down on the grass. “Have you ridden this before? With these?” He pointed to the training wheels.
“A couple of times,” she said. Her little fingers played with the ends of her blond hair.
“Why don’t we start there?.”
Samantha looked reluctant to ride with the training wheels, but after Logan reassured her that it was only to make sure the seat was adjusted to where it needed to be, Samantha agreed.
She rode the bike on the road in front of Aunt Betty’s house, slowly at first, as they tried to get the height just right. But the longer the task took, the more impatient she became, and her pedaling became much faster.
Once Logan was satisfied that the bike was where it needed to be, he nudged Samantha playfully with his elbow. “Ready?”
“Yes,” Samantha said on an exhale.
“Then let’s say goodbye to these.” Logan used a screwdriver to remove the training wheels as Samantha stared on, her shoes tapping on thepavement. He set them on the sidewalk in front of Aunt Betty’s house.
Logan gently placed the helmet on Samantha’s head and connected the straps to fasten it to her head and keep her safe. He gently knocked the hard plastic. “Feel good?”
She looked at him eagerly. “Yes,” she said and bounced on her toes as she waited for Logan to finish going through his mental checklist so that she could finally learn to ride a bike.
The fact that Samantha came to him for help made it obvious that this was a big deal to her. Logan was honored to be a part of this momentous occasion as he helped Samantha onto the bike. Logan held the back of the seat, just like his father had done for him before he died. He hated that it wasn’t something Jake got to do with Samantha and hoped that his efforts would be enough for the little girl to trust him. He wanted it to be perfect.
“Okay, I’m going to keep you from tipping over,” he said from behind her as he held the bike still. “What I want you to do is see how much you can balance it yourself.”
Samantha started pedaling, the bike wobbling as they slowly made their way down the street. Logan held on tight, careful not to let her tumble.
They went up and down the street several times, Samantha not showing any improvement, but she kept insisting they try one more time. Then one more. Thenone more. Logan wondered if she got her tenacity from Jake or Erin. Both of them had been headstrong and persistent, never giving up. His throat tightened with the memories of his friends.
Logan, on the other hand, was the one who had always run away when things got hard.
Samantha’s squeal pulled him back to the present. “I think I’m getting it.”
The way Logan’s hand barely gripped the seat let him know that she was getting closer. “Yeah, I think so.”
“Do you think I’ll be able to do it by myself by dinnertime?” she called back to him.
Dinnertime.
It was Wednesday, and he’d never actually canceled with Ellis and Anne Marie, which meant they were expecting him for dinner that night. They got to the end of the street, and Samantha turned her bike around to start again. Logan stood in the shade of one of the towering oaks that lined the quiet street and looked at the time on the phone. He still had a couple of hours until he needed to get cleaned up for his meal with the Wilsons.
“I don’t know,” he said. “Want to see if I can let go this time?”
Samantha bit her bottom lip, her bravado from earlier fading. “I ... I don’t know. What if I fall?”
Based on how well she was doing, he didn’t think that was going to happen, but he guessed it was alwaysa possibility. “I think you’re going to be just fine, but sometimes that happens. I guess it just depends on how brave you’re feeling.” He leaned in and gave her a conspiratorial look. “Are you ready to be wild?”
The worry on Samantha’s face faded and was replaced with a light in her eyes that told Logan everything he needed to know. She was ready.
“Then let’s do this,” he said, waving at a nosey Mr. Humphrey who stood in the front yard watching the lesson.
Logan didn’t like the audience, but he wasn’t going to let that be the reason Samantha didn’t learn how to ride a bike. He helped steady the bike as Samantha got her feet on the pedals again. She started moving forward slowly down the street, while he kept a light grip on the seat. He jogged behind her as she picked up the pace. The faster she went, the steadier the bike became.
When Logan felt comfortable that Samantha was able to keep her balance, he let go, but continued to run behind, his hand just out of reach from the seat.
