father’s memory of something that happened less than a year ago.
And suddenly, sitting in a wheelchair with only a few months before he was whole again—even though he would be out of work—Petey felt like a total shit for the feelings of self-pity he ’d been having since waking up after surgery.
“ Anyway,” she went on kind of quickly, as if trying to cram things in during this lucid moment. “Sherry’s able to stay for a whole month with Mom.”
“ That will be a nice break for you, Alison. You’ve done so much.”
Had she? He ’d had a sense of things going downhill with her parents when he was home last summer, but hadn’t really digested how much. Or how bad.
She waved her father ’s statement away with a flick of her little hand. “It looks like we’ll be able to get Mom moved into the Ridges during the time that Sherry’s here. In the type of apartment we all talked about. Do you remember that?”
He nodded. “And when will I be able to join her there?” There was a fear in his voice, like maybe she’d tell him he wouldn’t be able to join his wife in the assisted-living facility.
“ Soon, we hope. In fact, Dr. Simms mentioned that your infection seemed to be responding to the meds better than he hoped. You might even beat Mom to your new place.”
“ And the house? You’ll sell the house?”
She looked down at her lap, seeming to gather her thoughts. Petey was both riveted to the family scene and embarrassed that he hadn ’t left. He hadn’t realized these were the types of things Mr. Jukuri would want to discuss because he was having a good moment.
God, this could so easily be him in only twenty or thirty years, with as many concussions as he ’d had on the ice and the links they were making between NFL players with several concussions and early-onset dementia. He’d thought about it. It was one of the reasons he’d decided to retire after this season. But holy shit, the thought of his children having to remind him of important things like Alison was doing now?
Assuming he ever had children.
He started to have a mini flash of panic, so he tried to zero in on what Alison was saying so he wouldn’t think about himself.
“ That’s what you both wanted when it got to this point. But we don’t have to, I can—”
“ Yes. Sell the house. I remember the plans your mother and I made. We don’t want to be a burden on you, Alison. And we want to be together if possible. They were sound plans then, no reason to change them now.” He gave Alison a questioning look. “Is there?”
The man was looking for hope. Looking for Alison to tell him the situation was so much better than they ’d planned for.
She ducked her head, her short hair falling like a curtain over her eyes, only her chin visible. Then she looked at her father straight on and said, “No. There’s no reason to change the plans you and Mom made.”
She had balls and didn ’t hide. Never had. It was a quality that he both admired and was irritated by, depending on the day.
They talked some more about lesser things, then she gathered up her things, kissed her father goodbye, and said she ’d be back that evening to see him again.
Jesus, she was making two trips a day to see him, plus her mother, plus her patient load? He couldn ’t remember if Lizzie’d mentioned if Alison was still teaching at Tech or not. Probably not with all she had going on.
Again, sitting in a wheelchair for a couple of days and lying around in bed for a few weeks was starting to seem pretty good.
After Alison left, he chatted hockey with her dad for a little while longer and, when it was getting close to the time his mother was expected to show, he started to say his goodbyes. As he maneuvered the wheelchair past the bed, Mr. Jukuri reached out to stop him. He leaned over and said in a low, conspiratorial voice, “I’ve seen how you look at her, you know.”
Fuck. For years he ’d masked how he looked at Alison, had
And suddenly, sitting in a wheelchair with only a few months before he was whole again—even though he would be out of work—Petey felt like a total shit for the feelings of self-pity he ’d been having since waking up after surgery.
“ Anyway,” she went on kind of quickly, as if trying to cram things in during this lucid moment. “Sherry’s able to stay for a whole month with Mom.”
“ That will be a nice break for you, Alison. You’ve done so much.”
Had she? He ’d had a sense of things going downhill with her parents when he was home last summer, but hadn’t really digested how much. Or how bad.
She waved her father ’s statement away with a flick of her little hand. “It looks like we’ll be able to get Mom moved into the Ridges during the time that Sherry’s here. In the type of apartment we all talked about. Do you remember that?”
He nodded. “And when will I be able to join her there?” There was a fear in his voice, like maybe she’d tell him he wouldn’t be able to join his wife in the assisted-living facility.
“ Soon, we hope. In fact, Dr. Simms mentioned that your infection seemed to be responding to the meds better than he hoped. You might even beat Mom to your new place.”
“ And the house? You’ll sell the house?”
She looked down at her lap, seeming to gather her thoughts. Petey was both riveted to the family scene and embarrassed that he hadn ’t left. He hadn’t realized these were the types of things Mr. Jukuri would want to discuss because he was having a good moment.
God, this could so easily be him in only twenty or thirty years, with as many concussions as he ’d had on the ice and the links they were making between NFL players with several concussions and early-onset dementia. He’d thought about it. It was one of the reasons he’d decided to retire after this season. But holy shit, the thought of his children having to remind him of important things like Alison was doing now?
Assuming he ever had children.
He started to have a mini flash of panic, so he tried to zero in on what Alison was saying so he wouldn’t think about himself.
“ That’s what you both wanted when it got to this point. But we don’t have to, I can—”
“ Yes. Sell the house. I remember the plans your mother and I made. We don’t want to be a burden on you, Alison. And we want to be together if possible. They were sound plans then, no reason to change them now.” He gave Alison a questioning look. “Is there?”
The man was looking for hope. Looking for Alison to tell him the situation was so much better than they ’d planned for.
She ducked her head, her short hair falling like a curtain over her eyes, only her chin visible. Then she looked at her father straight on and said, “No. There’s no reason to change the plans you and Mom made.”
She had balls and didn ’t hide. Never had. It was a quality that he both admired and was irritated by, depending on the day.
They talked some more about lesser things, then she gathered up her things, kissed her father goodbye, and said she ’d be back that evening to see him again.
Jesus, she was making two trips a day to see him, plus her mother, plus her patient load? He couldn ’t remember if Lizzie’d mentioned if Alison was still teaching at Tech or not. Probably not with all she had going on.
Again, sitting in a wheelchair for a couple of days and lying around in bed for a few weeks was starting to seem pretty good.
After Alison left, he chatted hockey with her dad for a little while longer and, when it was getting close to the time his mother was expected to show, he started to say his goodbyes. As he maneuvered the wheelchair past the bed, Mr. Jukuri reached out to stop him. He leaned over and said in a low, conspiratorial voice, “I’ve seen how you look at her, you know.”
Fuck. For years he ’d masked how he looked at Alison, had
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