“Last year, I wanted to get in some practice walking up and down stairs, because… well, I just did.” He shrugs sheepishly. “I was going to ask you about the furniture and stuff, but then I noticed the pictures of cars and the poster of my favorite band on the wall and… Well, I kinda figured out that you were fixing it up for me.”
“You’ve known for a year? And you didn’t say anything?”
“I didn’t want to ruin the surprise. When was this whole thing going to happen anyway? And I thought you hated me using stairs.”
“I was thinking senior year. And I’ve been searching for a stair lift.”
“Nice. I can’t wait. It’s really great, Dad. And those tables. They’re pretty dope.”
“Dope?”
“Awesome. Cool. Nice.”
“I know what dope means, son. I’m thirty-two, not a hundred. I’ve just never heard you say it. I’ve heardBugsay it. Maybe you’ve been spending too much time with her,” I tease.
“Stop it,” Kenna whispers, elbowing me in the back.
She’s on his side, and I think that makes me like her even more.
“So the stairs,” I say, curious. “It doesn’t have anything to do with Darla’s room being over the garage and her having her own private entrance, does it? Because I have it on good authority that Asher bolted her outside entrance shut the day they moved in.”
Christian’s eyes roll behind his thick glasses. “I know it’s sealed shut. I just thought it was good PT.”
“What’s PT?” Amelia asks, licking crumbs off her fingers.
“Physical therapy,” he explains. “When you have weak, wobbly legs like mine, you have to do exercises to help them. I have a cool stationary bike in my room. And I go swimming at the community center a few times a week. But in the summer, I get to use Bug’s pool. Which is cool because Dad doesn’t have to drive me all the way to White Plains, which is a total pain in the neck. Right, Dad?”
I shake my head. “It’s not a pain in the neck, Christian. I’m always happy to do it.”
“He’s the best,” he says to Kenna, thumbing at me. “I don’t know any other parent who doesn’t complain about all the places they have to take their kid. He drives carpool, picks me up from practices, drives me to and from PT. I really don’t know how one person does it all by themselves.”
I raise a brow at the uncharacteristic praise coming from my son. “Just doing what any dad would.”
Kenna snorts. “You’d think that.” Then she smiles. “Don’t sell yourself short. It sounds like you’re a great dad.”
The smile, as beautiful as it is, doesn’t quite reach her eyes. Oh, right…her dad. I’m reminded of earlier when she told me about her rocky relationship with him. I’ll have to think twice about what I say around her lest I put another foot in my mouth.
“Mommy, I want to see the cool bike in his room. Can I?”
“If it’s okay with Christian you can. But first, we have to talk about something.” Amelia reluctantly pulls her attention from my son to look at her mother. “I told you earlier how it’s going to be a while before we can drive the car again. Well, we’re going to stay here until it’s ready. Carter and Christian have graciously offered the basement to us. It’s got a bedroom and bathroom andeven a little kitchen. And wait until you see the tables. They are super neat. Made out of car parts.”
Amelia looks unimpressed and turns to look around her mother into the rest of the house, far more mesmerized by the thought of seeing Christian’s bike. Then she gets a glimpse of the falling snow outside.
“Mommy! Can we build a Frosty? The man said we could.”
I laugh. “It’s Carter, Amelia. Call me Carter.”
“Carter said we could. Didn’t you, Carter?”
“I did indeed. But right now I have to go back to work for a bit and get your things. Maybe we can build one later.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Kenna says. “You’ve done so much already.”
“Kenna, do you really want to sleep in one of my work shirts?”
Her cheeks flame. She tries to hide it by angling away from me. “Um… I was talking about the snowman. But, yeah, I guess we’re going to need our stuff. Thank you. Really. For everything.”
“It’s my pleasure.” I head for the garage door. “Make yourselves at home. I’ll be back with your stuff in a few hours.”
