“You’ve done very well today Diane,” Linda said. “Let's take off your clothes and Patti will give you a massage, which will help your sore muscles.”
“Oh, that sounds fantastic.” After several minutes of undressing, I am lying naked on the bed, with a sheet across my upper body. My eyes are closed, and as soon as I feel warm hands touch my legs, I want to cry for joy. The kneading and pulling on my legs is so soothing. I must have fallen asleep because when I open my eyes, the room is empty and I hear voices again.
“She did very well today Ethan, but we need to take it slow for a week or so. Her muscles show signs of moderate muscle atrophy, and if I push it, she will feel pain. I don’t want that for her.”
“I agree. We need to go slow. Did Diane like the massage?”
I hear Linda laugh. “Diane fell asleep within five minutes. You might want to include this in your daily activity when we’re not here. The more we stimulate the muscles and get the blood flowing, the easier it will be when we work those muscles.”
“I can do that. It’s not a problem. Thank you, Linda. I’ll see the two of you on Monday. Enjoy the weekend, and thank you for all that you have done to help my wife.”
“It’s our pleasure, Ethan. You have a lovely wife and family. You are a lucky man.”
“Yes, I am,” I hear Ethan say as I drift off again.
*****
The weeks that follow are not only difficult for me, but also at times painful. The physical part of my therapy is tedious, and at times boring. My mind wants my body to move, but my legs have a mind of their own. Linda tells me that I am progressing ahead of schedule, but it doesn’t feel that way to me. I am starting to get frustrated and at times, a little bitchy. I don’t mean to be that way, but I am just so ready to get my life back.
After three weeks of what they call swallow therapy, I am on a soft diet of real food, and I can say goodbye to baby food. I am also pleased to see that I’ve gained close to ten pounds, and my clothes don’t feel as loose as they once did. I’ve also taken short steps with the walker. I’ve managed to walk from the family room to the kitchen, and back without falling on my face. Ethan hovers over me like a mother hen when I’m walking, and I am happy he is helping me with my therapy. Secretly, it only makes me want to work harder for him, and the children.
Every night, Ethan massages my aching legs, and I must say, this is the best part of my day. It doesn’t escape me that Ethan’s hands slide up my legs a little farther each day. The rhythmic swirling of his hands and the gentle way he talks to me has me needing something more from him. I feel aroused, and I am so happy I feel this way. I worried that I would not feel a sexual attraction to him. At least this part of my body still works correctly. I can see that it will take longer than I expected to gain my full strength, but I am determined, and I won’t quit until I get what I want. Linda and I have been talking about water therapy for the past few days, and it sounds like a good idea.
Christmas is in two weeks, and I want to walk to the table without the walker, so today, Linda and Patti are taking me to the hospital where they have an aqua therapy pool. I like this idea because it will allow me to work more of the muscles in my legs. When we arrive at the hospital, it surprises me when several of the nurses say hello to me, ask me how I feel, and wish me well. The same thing happens when we hit the pool. There are several patients in various stages of therapy in the water, along with their therapists.
A few of them wave to me, and I wave back to them. I’m a little afraid, and when I see the harness that will lower me into the water; I relax and let Linda strap me into the contraption. Once they drop me into the water, my body feels weightless. This is the point of aqua therapy. The harness takes the pressure off the muscles, which gives the patient a more intense workout without the stress. I like this very much and stay in the water for a long time.
Linda and Patti guide me through my exercises, and honestly, my legs do not ache. It feels fantastic being able to move my legs without the aching and cramping. Two hours later, they finally lift me out of the water, and that is when I see Ethan, standing tall in his hospital jacket, watching me. The smile on his face is infectious. I feel happy for the first time since I woke up. Maybe this is what I need to speed up my recovery.
“I feel so good Ethan. I want to do this every day. Can that be arranged?”
“Anything can be arranged, Diane. You only need to ask. When we get home, I have a surprise for you. I think you’ll like it.”
“A surprise, what is it?”
“If I told you, it would ruin the surprise.”
I turn to Linda. “Do you know what it is?”
“Of course, I do. I helped Ethan buy it for you, and no, you won’t get it out of me.”
After much pouting and harrumphing, I get dressed, and Ethan drives us home. When we pull up to the front of the house, Ethan doesn’t open the garage door. “Why are you parking in the driveway? Is the garage door opener broken?”
“No, it’s not broken.”
“Then why are you parking in the driveway? What’s going on?”
“I can’t park in the garage because your present is in there, and my car won’t fit.”
“What could be that large that you have to park in the driveway?”
“Give me a minute, and I’ll show you.”
Ethan helps me out of the car and wheels me into the house. The garage has an entrance door in the kitchen.
“Before I open the door, I want you to know that we still have a little work to do in there, but everything will be finished by tomorrow night. Are you ready to see your surprise?”
“What do you think?”
“I take that as a yes.”
When Ethan opens the door, my jaw hits the floor. The first thing I notice is a wooden wheelchair ramp that covers the two steps leading into the garage. What I see next astounds me. In the center of our garage is a spa pool. Ethan wheels me into the garage and over to the pool. “You have a spa pool in the garage? Are you serious?”
“Yes, I am serious honey. This is a home spa with a treadmill at the bottom. It is perfect for aquatic therapy. It has resistance jets for non-weight running and walking. You can also use it as a Jacuzzi. I should say we could use it as a Jacuzzi. You can use this every day to exercise your arms and legs.”
“I love it, and hopefully, it will speed up my recovery. This is a very thoughtful gift Ethan, and I appreciate everything you are doing for me.”
Ethan bends down and whispers in my ear, “You’re my wife honey, and there is nothing that I wouldn’t do for you. I love you. I also want to tell you that we received a settlement check from Michael Dougherty’s insurance company for two hundred thousand dollars to settle the claim for the accident.”
“That’s a lot of money. It doesn’t make me feel any better about what happened to me.”
“I know honey. It’s not about the money. What do you want me to do with it?”
“I want the kids to have the money.”
“That's a very good idea. I’ll take care of it after Christmas.”
“Why does having that money make me feel weird?”
“You shouldn’t feel this way, Diane. He hurt you, and it is the insurance company’s responsibility to reimburse you for the injuries you sustained that day.”
“I know. I just want to forget about what happened to me, and the money will be a constant reminder. If I must accept it, I want my children to have a good start in life.”
“This is why I love you, Diane.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Ethan
Diane is keeping secrets from me, and Linda and Patti are her accomplices. They have become good friends over the past few weeks. Today is Christmas Eve, and I’ve been out of the house all day shopping for presents for the kids. I already have Diane’s gift. I hope she likes it. The past few weeks have been hectic for everyone. Diane is more comfortable in the house, and the atmosphere is less tense. Our relationship has changed
. Diane is more relaxed around me, and the time we share in bed has become more, I guess you could say, intimate. We still haven’t made love, and I won’t do that until Diane is ready to take the next step in our new relationship. It feels like it did when we were in college. Those years were happy ones for us. We spent our first year in college sleeping together every night, but not making love. We touched, we teased, and we tasted, but never crossed the line.
The children are once again happy, and our house echoes with laughter and the occasional bickering between Kellie and Joey. Only this time, Joey is patient with Kellie and doesn’t become upset. I think he remembers what happened in Cape May. Mom and Dad are back in their house for most of the day, but share dinner with us every night. Mom comes over when the nurses leave, and I can see a new bond forming between my mother and Diane. So, tomorrow is Christmas, and in all honesty, I never imagined it to be a happy one for my family. The car is loaded with presents already wrapped, and my feet are killing me. It’s time to go home. I stop at my mom’s house to drop off Kellie’s gift.
As I pull up into the driveway, I sit and stare at the house. Joey and my dad did an excellent job of decorating the house. I’ve been so involved with Diane’s therapy, that I just did not have the time this year. I see the lights on in the garage through the glass, and I know Diane is in there. What is she up to so late at night? I get out of the car, and like a stalker, I peek into one of the windows. What I see surprises me. Diane is walking on the treadmill and holding on to the handrails. I want to run into the garage and yell at her for being so careless, but when I look at her face, all I see is a huge smile, and then, I see my dad come into view, and he’s clapping and laughing with her. Now I know the secret. I can’t let Diane know that I saw her, so I run into the house and make a little noise as I approach the kitchen.
“Hey, where is everyone?”
My dad yells back, “We’re in the garage.”
When I open the door, Diane is sitting on the bench, and the whirlpool is running to the maximum. The cheeky smile on her face doesn’t get past me. I always know when she’s lying to me. I’ll give her this one. “Don’t you think it’s a little late for therapy?”
“Therapy was this morning. I wanted to relax in the whirlpool for a few minutes. Steve was kind enough to help me.”
I look at my dad, and he just shrugs at me. “I was in the house. How could I say no? Have you finished shopping for the kids?”
“Yes, and remind me not to wait until the last minute next year. The mall is full of crazy people, myself included, but I got everything on the list. The kids are going to freak out tomorrow.”
“Where did you put Kellie’s gift?”
“I stopped by your house on the way home. Mom has her gift.”
“Good, then I guess I’ll go home. Your mother and I will be over for breakfast tomorrow morning, and we will bring Kellie’s gift. Don’t open anything until after breakfast.”
“Okay, Dad. I’ll see you and Mom tomorrow.”
After my father leaves the house, I walk over to the edge of the pool and lean into Diane. “Don’t move. I’ll be back in five minutes.” I run into the house, strip down to my boxers, grab a towel and a bathrobe, and run back to the garage. Diane is resting her head with her eyes closed, and she looks happy. I clear my throat to get her attention. I have never shared this with her, but I feel today is the perfect day to take the next step. Diane and I have been playing the flirting game with each other. Her attitude changes as her body changes.
“Do you mind if I join you?”
“No, not at all, there’s plenty of room for the two of us.”
I strip out of the bathrobe and sink into the deliciously warm water. Damn, if I knew it felt this good, I would have invaded her space last month. God, the water is so warm and soothing. The bench is big enough for the two of us, but I move as close to her as possible. Our legs touch under the water, and it surprises me when she turns into my body and entwines her legs with mine.
“So, how are you, Ethan?”
“I’m okay honey. How are you?”
“I’m fine. What would you like to do?”
“Hum, what would I like to do? Well, how about this.”
I take her by surprise when I turn her face towards mine and ravish her mouth. My hand slips between her legs, and she opens for me. I can’t remember ever kissing her the way I do now. I haven’t felt her around my cock in so long, and I want her desperately. I take my other hand and guide her down to my throbbing cock. On instinct, she squeezes me, and my hips jerk as I take the kiss deeper. Our tongues dance around each other, as our hands work each other. I’m about to go off when she digs her nails into a spot between my sack and ass. Total bliss is all I can think about as I come hard, taking Diane with me.
Many minutes later, Diane said, “I love you, Ethan.” At first, I thought I was dreaming, because I didn’t say anything.
“Ethan, are you awake? Did you hear what I just said to you?”
I open my eyes to look at her. “Yeah, I heard you, but I was so afraid I was asleep, and it was just a dream. Say it again, Diane. Please, say it again.”
“I love you, Ethan.”
Those four words break my resolve, and I cry like a fucking baby. It takes me several minutes to stop the tears, and when I am finally able to speak, I tell her, “I have waited so long to hear those words. I love you so much, honey. Welcome home sweetheart.”
*****
Christmas morning in the Miller house is as it should be, loud, crazy, and full of love. Kellie is up and out of bed at six in the morning, I know this because I’ve been awake since the butt crack of dawn the minute I felt Diane roll over and press herself against my back. I swear that Diane subconsciously remembers things about our life before the accident. This is one of those times. The way she touches me is another one. Could it be that her memory is slowly returning to her? I don’t want to get my hopes up, but covertly, I am looking for clues. I still can’t believe Diane said she loves me, and for the first time since she came home, I know, we will be ok. My daughter banging on the bedroom door is a signal that Christmas has begun.
“Get up Mommy and Daddy. I want to open my presents.”
I yell back at her. “We are not opening anything until after breakfast, so I want you to go downstairs and watch TV until Granny and Gramps come over to eat with us.”
“Okay, I’m going.”
I hear Diane laughing against my shoulder. “I guess she’s telling us to get our asses out of bed. What time are Mom and Dad coming over for breakfast?”
My heart skips a beat, and it takes me a second to answer her. Mom and Dad? That’s the first time she’s referred to my parents as Mom and Dad. “Um, I’m not sure, but last year, they were over early, so we better get up. You can stay in your pajamas. We never get dressed on Christmas Day.”
“I wish I remembered that.”
“You will, for our next Christmas together. No looking back honey, only look forward.”
“I know. Why do I torture myself this way? It’s been over nine months since the accident, and I should accept the fact that I will never regain those memories. It’s depressing to me Ethan. I look around the house, and I know everything in it is a memory. I look at the pictures on the walls, and when I see myself, I don’t recognize the person staring back at me.”
“I remember when Kellie had trouble with reading,” I tell her. “I remember what you said to her. You said that if you concentrate too hard, sometimes it makes it more difficult learning. It’s the same with your memories. The harder you try to remember, the thicker the block. Let’s not worry about it until after the New Year. We have an appointment with the psychologist January third. Let’s just have a happy day with the family, and we’ll worry about everything else next year.”
“You’re right. It’s funny, though. If I don’t think about it, I feel good. The minute I look back, I screw myself, and I know it.”
“That’s because your a
nalytical mind is trying to figure this out. There is no easy way to get around this honey. It is what it is, and we have to accept it and move forward.”
“Okay, you’re right. Help me get downstairs so we can have breakfast before Kellie pops a vein. I know she is dying to open her presents.”
*****
When we reach the bottom of the stairs, Kellie is sitting in front of the Christmas tree shaking boxes. She does this every year, but this year, she will never guess what her gift is. Joey is asleep on the sofa. The past few weeks have been intense for my son as he gears up for a change in curriculum. I carry Diane over to the recliner and laugh inwardly because I know she is keeping a big secret from the family, and I have a sneaking suspicion that she will spring it on us today. I hear the back door open, and my dad’s booming voice fills the room.
“Ho, Ho, Ho, everyone, Merry Christmas!”
When I look up, my father is wearing a pair of blue pajamas with Christmas lights. Where did my mother find the material to make this hideous pair of pajamas? And, when I look down, he’s wearing antler slippers. My mom is tastefully dressed in light blue pajamas with snowflakes. My dad walks over to me and wraps me in a bear hug, and bends down to kiss Diane.
“Merry Christmas honey, how are you feeling today?”
“I feel good, Dad; Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas son, I love you.” Then he whispers in my ear. “Did you hear Diane call me Dad?”
“I did. Isn’t it wonderful? I love you too, Dad, but I would love you more if you lose the slippers.”
“Not happening Ethan. I had a bitch of a time finding them in my size. Let’s help your mother make breakfast. I’m starving.”
The kitchen is busy with everyone pitching in to make breakfast. No one makes pancakes better than my mother. My mom planned the menu of pancakes, scrambled eggs, oatmeal, and toast, and all the food served this morning is something that Diane can eat. Thirty minutes later, we sit at the table, and as I look at everyone, something clicks in my mind. This is the first time since the accident that the entire family sat at the table and shared breakfast with each other. My thoughts flashed back to when Kellie smashed her face in whipped cream. As I look at Diane, it makes me so happy to see her eating, and I no longer need to worry about her choking on something. It’s obvious to me that she is happy today. I want her to be happy every day.