Hannah
“Hi, Ben.” Sparky dashes past Ben’s cane through the doorway to greet me. I crouch down so he can give me puppy kisses. At least there’s one male in my life who still wants to kiss me. “Good boy, Sparky. You’re doing so great!”
I bury my face in his neck and sigh. Needless to say, I slept very little last night. Again. I kept replaying my argument with Nick, trying to get a grasp or some understanding of why he was so upset. Here I thought I’d handed him a steak, and he tossed it back at me like it was rotted meat.
“You okay?” Ben’s question draws me out of my misery.
“Just tired.”
“We can reschedule if you prefer.” The compassion on his face nearly brings me to tears.
But then I only get angry again—at myself for letting Nick into my heart when I should have known better and at Nick for not understanding that I was merely trying to help, just like I’m helping him with his physical therapy.
Which means I have to see him again. I made him a promise, and I intend to keep it. But if we can’t find a way around this misunderstanding, treating him won’t be easy. That’s for sure.
“No, let’s get to work on that hip of yours.” I open Ben’s folder. “I thought of a routine we can do in your pool, which you can also do on your own.”
He nods and smiles. “Sounds like a plan. Hope you brought your suit, too.”
I pluck my basic black one-piece from my bag and wave it like a flag.
He chuckles. “You’re well-prepared.”
I grin, feeling some of the heaviness I’ve carried around since last night float away. “You wouldn’t be paying me the big bucks if I weren’t.”
Once we’re in the pool, I start Ben with simple walking laps across the shallow end. “How’s that feel?”
“Good. Definitely more resistance.”
“That’s the idea. Plus, the water helps support your weight.”
Sparky pants as he watches us from his perch on a lounger. “He seems to be back to his old self. You’ve been working with him.”
“We enjoy our evening walks together.” There’s a hint of sadness in his voice that I’m guessing is from missing his wife. I know little about her, only that she passed away last year sometime. Ben will sometimes open up and talk about her, but other times, he seems reticent to share much about her, so I try not to ask too many questions.
“Did your wife go, too?”
His smile is sad as well. “Yes, she did. Vivian loved that time of evening, even during the muggiest of days. I still feel like she’s with us when Sparky and I take our walks.”
My heart squeezes not just over the loss of his wife but also over the beauty of a life spent with someone you love, sharing simple everyday things like walking your dog together. That just brings Nick and the rush of emotions I’m trying to sort out and make sense of front and center again.
Aaaandthat we kind of share a dog, too.
“That bad?”
I snap my gaze to his. “What’s bad?”
He gestures to my face. “That. He must either be a real pain or the real deal.”
I scrunch my nose. “Still deciding.”
He chuckles. “Then I’m guessing the latter because if it were the former, you wouldn’t be so hung up about it.”
He makes a strong argument.
“Good point.”
“Just let the dust settle and then have a simple, old-fashioned conversation. Face-to-face and no texting. Facial expressions and body language communicate more than words, you know.”
