don’t want to know ,” Lilly laughed looking toward Chuck.
“This is my husband Bobby ,” she pointed at the dark haired man. “And that is Dickie,” she pointed at the older man who was grinning as he lay there with a wrench in his hand.
Gretchen made her way over to where she sat at the entrance to the garage bay and continued to stare at her stump. “What happened to your foot?” she finally asked.
Everyone’s friendly smile faded. Unwilling to let awkwardness set in she said , “I was in a bad car wreck and I lost my foot and my Daddy.”
Gretchen looked away from her foot and into her eyes for the first time since she’d come back out of the office . “I’d rather lose my foot than my Daddy. I bet you miss him bunches, huh?” she said quietly.
“Yea , I do miss him bunches,” she choked out.
“I’ll share my Daddy with you since I already got to share him with Melody… but… can I ride in your chair?” she asked, moving as close as possible to Meredith.
No one was saying anything except for Gretchen so she smiled at her and said , “Here, why don’t you sit on my lap and we’ll make Charlie push?”
“Who’s Charlie?” Gretchen asked , raising her arms so she could be picked up.
“It’s a nickname for your uncle Chuck ,” she said frowning at Chuck. Then she picked Gretchen up and sat her down on her lap.
“Does your boo-boo still hurt?” Gretchen asked , being careful to keep away from her missing limb.
“Not anymore. In fact I’m thinking about getting a fake foot ,” she said looking at Chuck.
“Epic ,” Chuck said as he pushed them further into the bay to a closed off area in the back that appeared to have been recently constructed as the walls were unpainted. There was a single window on one side of the doorway and an exhaust fan on the other.
“Can I go with you to pick it out?” Gretchen asked her.
“It doesn’t quite work that way but I do have a little brother so maybe you could come with Uncle Chuck sometime and play at our house.” she offered as Chuck parked her next to the small window.
They watched as Chuck put on a white suit that had small specks of different colored paint all over it and a hood. He pulled the hood tight around his head and then put on a mask with an attached breathing apparatus. Then , waving at them, he headed inside the small room.
She watched him paint for a little while. He seemed to be completely focused on his task and didn’t even look in her direction.
“Would you like something to drink?” Lilly asked sometime later.
“Sure…what do you have?” she asked.
“Why don’t you come on in the office where it’s cooler and have a look in the fridge ,” Lilly offered and then pointing to the handles on her chair said, “May I?”
“Yes and thank you” she said.
As Lilly pushed her into the office and over to a small college sized refrigerator in the corner the phone rang. Lilly leaned across a ledge that ran the length of the desk and answered.
“Bobby’s Custom… Oh hey, Dana,”
Gretchen hopped down off her lap and opened the refrigerator. She selected a soda and then handed one to Meredith.
“Oh… I have no idea. You’ve seen me dance… not pretty. I could ask Sherri if there are any dance studios around here. Are we talking like slow dancing… ballroom dancing?” Lilly asked.
“Tell Miss Lilly I’m going to ride my trike ,” Gretchen said and scampered out the door with her soda.
Lilly nodded in Gretchen’s direction and said, “Oh… I see, ” and then laughed.
She opened her soda, took a sip and tried to appear as though she wasn’t listening in but that was something she really missed… dancing. She’d been good at it too… really good.
“Well why don’t you bring Melody to Gran’s when Tommy gets back with the camper and we’ll sneak out and drive around and see what we can find?” Lilly offered and then after a pause , “Maybe around
“This is my husband Bobby ,” she pointed at the dark haired man. “And that is Dickie,” she pointed at the older man who was grinning as he lay there with a wrench in his hand.
Gretchen made her way over to where she sat at the entrance to the garage bay and continued to stare at her stump. “What happened to your foot?” she finally asked.
Everyone’s friendly smile faded. Unwilling to let awkwardness set in she said , “I was in a bad car wreck and I lost my foot and my Daddy.”
Gretchen looked away from her foot and into her eyes for the first time since she’d come back out of the office . “I’d rather lose my foot than my Daddy. I bet you miss him bunches, huh?” she said quietly.
“Yea , I do miss him bunches,” she choked out.
“I’ll share my Daddy with you since I already got to share him with Melody… but… can I ride in your chair?” she asked, moving as close as possible to Meredith.
No one was saying anything except for Gretchen so she smiled at her and said , “Here, why don’t you sit on my lap and we’ll make Charlie push?”
“Who’s Charlie?” Gretchen asked , raising her arms so she could be picked up.
“It’s a nickname for your uncle Chuck ,” she said frowning at Chuck. Then she picked Gretchen up and sat her down on her lap.
“Does your boo-boo still hurt?” Gretchen asked , being careful to keep away from her missing limb.
“Not anymore. In fact I’m thinking about getting a fake foot ,” she said looking at Chuck.
“Epic ,” Chuck said as he pushed them further into the bay to a closed off area in the back that appeared to have been recently constructed as the walls were unpainted. There was a single window on one side of the doorway and an exhaust fan on the other.
“Can I go with you to pick it out?” Gretchen asked her.
“It doesn’t quite work that way but I do have a little brother so maybe you could come with Uncle Chuck sometime and play at our house.” she offered as Chuck parked her next to the small window.
They watched as Chuck put on a white suit that had small specks of different colored paint all over it and a hood. He pulled the hood tight around his head and then put on a mask with an attached breathing apparatus. Then , waving at them, he headed inside the small room.
She watched him paint for a little while. He seemed to be completely focused on his task and didn’t even look in her direction.
“Would you like something to drink?” Lilly asked sometime later.
“Sure…what do you have?” she asked.
“Why don’t you come on in the office where it’s cooler and have a look in the fridge ,” Lilly offered and then pointing to the handles on her chair said, “May I?”
“Yes and thank you” she said.
As Lilly pushed her into the office and over to a small college sized refrigerator in the corner the phone rang. Lilly leaned across a ledge that ran the length of the desk and answered.
“Bobby’s Custom… Oh hey, Dana,”
Gretchen hopped down off her lap and opened the refrigerator. She selected a soda and then handed one to Meredith.
“Oh… I have no idea. You’ve seen me dance… not pretty. I could ask Sherri if there are any dance studios around here. Are we talking like slow dancing… ballroom dancing?” Lilly asked.
“Tell Miss Lilly I’m going to ride my trike ,” Gretchen said and scampered out the door with her soda.
Lilly nodded in Gretchen’s direction and said, “Oh… I see, ” and then laughed.
She opened her soda, took a sip and tried to appear as though she wasn’t listening in but that was something she really missed… dancing. She’d been good at it too… really good.
“Well why don’t you bring Melody to Gran’s when Tommy gets back with the camper and we’ll sneak out and drive around and see what we can find?” Lilly offered and then after a pause , “Maybe around
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