Chapter 6
Aaron was in the middle of a weightlifting set and he lost
count of the rep he was on; he was distracted. It was early Friday morning, the
sun hadn’t even risen yet, and he was at the gym having trouble focusing on his
work out. An entire day had already passed since he and Julia went to the
baseball game and he kept replaying the night’s events over and over in his
mind. Aaron had gone for it; he went and kissed her at the end of the game,
unable to resist it any longer. He thought the night had gone well and he
thoroughly enjoyed being there with her. She was fun to be around and her
energy was contagious. She was patient when it came to the wheels, never
seeming to bat an eye at the reality of his situation and he appreciated that.
He hadn’t felt the way he was feeling about Julia in quite a while. He was no stranger to dating, having a few serious relationships under his belt already, but his focus was never on finding a woman. He worked, he traveled, he had friends, he took care of himself, and he lived his life. More often than not, he didn’t find room in that life or the time to devote to dating. The more time he spent with Julia, though, the more he realized she was unlike any other girl he had ever been with, which made him want to explore that dynamic further. And while that was exciting, it also scared him.
Aaron could admit to himself that Julia still made him
nervous and even vulnerable sometimes; two feelings that he wasn’t used to
having. He was a grown man, a secure and confident one. Julia had come into his
life and shook it up. He couldn’t get her out of his mind. He also couldn’t wait
to see her again.
As he sat on the bench in the weight room, Aaron took a deep
breath. He reset the weight, getting a better grip on it before he lifted
again, continuing the set. He had to get through this routine, even if Julia
was on the forefront of his mind and the task at hand wasn’t.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
It was mid-morning and Julia stood in the aisle of the
grocery store. She hadn’t needed to shop for groceries as much as she had in the
last three weeks for as long as she could remember. She was home each day of
the week, not on the road, and had to actually make meals. She was deciding
between penne and farfalle pasta for a dish she would make that weekend when
she heard the ringtone of her phone. She reached into her purse to pull it out
and glanced at the screen.
Ah, yes. Him.
“Well, hello.” Julia answered with a smile.
“Hey.” Aaron replied.
“Shouldn’t you be working?! Checking hearts and lungs with
that stethoscope of yours?” Julia tossed the box of farfalle into the cart and
continued down the aisle.
Aaron laughed. “I run the joint. Those hearts and lungs can
wait.” He joked. “What are you doing?”
Julia groaned. “Ugh. Grocery shopping. The worst.” She said
with a laugh.
“Ah, the dreaded supermarket.” Aaron teased.
“So dreaded…,” she said through a laugh.
“Are you doing anything this evening?” He asked quickly.
Julia tossed a couple small containers of Greek yogurt into
the cart as she scanned the shelves in the dairy department. “No, I don’t have
plans yet for this fine Friday night. I can be persuaded to make some, though…”
So, hurry up and ask
me.
Aaron let out a low laugh. “Is that so? Well, I should be
done here by about five. Do you want to come over and I’ll grill something? I’ve
heard the food I cook is half-way edible.”
Julia bit her lip, trying to contain her smile. “Half-way,
huh? In that case, yes, that sounds good. What can I bring?”
Aaron paused. “Uh, how about twenty three bratwursts, eight
chocolate cakes, four loaves of bread, two lemons, and a bag of flour.”
He’s something else, this guy.
Julia laughed, and shook her head. “Alright, consider it
done.”
“No, no… Just bring yourself.” He countered with a deep
chuckle.
“Ok. I can do that, too.” Julia leaned forward and rested on
the handle of the cart.
Aaron gave her his address, and told her rough directions.
They decided on six o’clock sharp before ending the phone call.
Dinner at Aaron’s
house. This kind of a big deal, isn’t it?
Julia took a deep breath and tossed her phone back in her
bag. She took off again with the grocery cart, in search of the rest of items
on her list.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Julia pulled into the empty driveway in front of Aaron’s
house, glancing at the numbers on the house to make sure she was at the right
home. She figured Aaron’s Jeep was parked in the garage. Situated in a nice
neighborhood, the house was a one story ranch style home, in a corner lot, with
a covered porch and a three car garage. The lawn was manicured, and a few trees
dotted the property. When she was confident she was in the right place, she got
out of the car, bringing the pan of lemon bars she made with her. She just
couldn’t come to Aaron’s house for the first time empty handed.
She walked up the sidewalk to the front door, noticing there
were a couple wide steps leading to the entrance. She knocked on the door, took
a deep breath, and waited. She looked down at her outfit; feeling confident and
pretty. She had chosen a beige colored jersey maxi dress and paired it with her
denim jacket that she rolled the sleeves back on. She wore a long gold necklace
with an aqua stone, small gold dangly earrings, and wore a pair of flat sandals
on her feet.
Julia, you’ll be fine.
Aaron pulled open the front door a minute later, a smile on
his face. “Hey!” He said, and pushed his wheel backward, giving her room to
come in. He looked handsome; seeming to be more so each time she saw him. He
had on tan pants with a long sleeve forest green shirt, the sleeves pushed to
his elbows in typical Aaron fashion. He wore the casual brown suede shoes
again.
Julia stepped up over the threshold and into his house. She
refrained from looking around, although she couldn’t wait to see what it was
like. Still holding the pan of lemon bars, she leaned down and hugged him.
“Hello.” She said with a warm smile.
He returned her embrace, and eyed the pan. “Wait a minute.
What’s this?” He said with a laugh.
She looked down at the pan in her hands. “Oh, dessert!”
I hope he likes lemon…
“She bakes…,” Aaron said, sounding impressed. He pushed the
door closed behind them and pushed
forward. “Kitchen is this way.”
Julia followed as he wheeled across the hardwood floors past
the living area. Rounding a corner, they ended up in an expansive kitchen.
Maple kitchen cabinets lined the walls, with sand colored granite countertops,
and stainless steel appliances. A wide rectangular island stood in the middle.
It was a beautiful space.
Oh. Wow. This kitchen
is…wow.
Julia could smell something radiating from the oven then saw
that a pan was on the stove. A tray of raw steaks and chicken was on the
countertop, along with a set of tongs. Aaron turned to Julia and reached for
the pan. “Here, I’ll take that,” he offered, and set the pan on his lap.
He wheeled to the stove then lifted the lemon bars onto the
counter. “Looks good, thank you, Julia.”
“I had to bring something.” She said with a small shrug.
“Want to go out back?” He asked as he titled his head toward
the back door.
“Sure. Need a hand with something?” She asked as she looked
around the kitchen.
Aaron lifted the tray of meat to be grilled from the
countertop and placed it evenly on his lap. “Uh, yeah. You want to bring that
extra dish there?” He gestured to a tray by the stove.
Julia grabbed it then followed Aaron. He wheeled to the
sliding glass door off of the kitchen and opened it easily. He pushed smoothly
out onto the covered sandstone patio and pulled up to the table next to the
grill. He set the tray of steaks and chicken down, then turned to Julia, who
was admiring the area. The backyard was big, and well landscaped. There were a
few trees and shrubs along the fence line. A dining table, and several chairs,
along with the grill were on the patio. The biggest feature, though, was
prominently placed in the middle of the yard, set in the ground, surround by
smooth stones.
Holy cow!
“You have a pool!” Julia said, unable to hide her surprise.
Julia walked toward it, taking in the several cushioned lounge chairs that were
set up around the pool deck.
Aaron laughed. “I do, yes. It’s what made me buy this
place.” He gave his wheels a push, and
followed right behind her.
Julia looked around, totally enamored by the yard. “Aaron,
seriously. It’s gorgeous out here.”
“Thank you.” He said, sounding humbled.
She stood for a moment longer and looked around before
turning to him. “Can I do anything?”
A smile spread across Aaron’s face and he shook his head. “No,
thank you. I’m going to get the grill started. Take a seat. What can I get you
to drink?” He turned and pushed back toward the open door to the house. “Water,
iced tea, soda, wine, beer?” He said over his shoulder.
Julia walked to the dining table nearby and pulled out a
chair. “Water is fine, thank you.”
Aaron returned a moment later with two bottles of water on
his lap. He opened the cap of one and handed it to Julia, then opened one for
himself. He took a long drink then set the bottle on the dining table before
turning to the grill.
He sat sideways to the grill, but a few inches back from it.
He opened the lid and reached for the plate of steaks and chicken. He placed
the four steaks and four chicken breasts on the hot grate of the grill top.
“I’ve got a salad and some potatoes, too. Then steak and chicken. How do you
like your steak cooked?”
Julia watched him intently as he worked. “Oh, uh, medium
well is fine. I’m not one of those ‘still mooing’ people.” She added with a
laugh.
“Ok,” he said with a nod. “Good to know.”
Julia drank her bottled water and looked around, taking in
the surroundings some more. “How long have you lived here?”
Aaron continued to work at the grill, monitoring the meat.
“Hm, I guess two and a half years now.” He turned to Julia. “I rented a condo
when I moved back from Texas, then found this place. It works for me.”
Julia glanced around again. “It’s a beautiful home, Aaron.”
“Thank you.” He said with an appreciative smile, then he
turned back to the grill.
There was a silence then on the patio as Julia looked around
and Aaron cooked. Julia let her mind wander and she wondered what the rest of
the house was like. She didn’t know what to expect when she arrived, but what
she was found was beyond anything she could have expected. The house was large,
and well maintained. She knew Aaron had to have worked hard to be able to
afford the property and it made her impressed with him even more.
Pushing the thought aside, she spoke up. “Ok, seriously, I
can’t do nothing. Put me work, please.”
Aaron laughed. “Just relax, really. Everything else is
already put together.”
“Ok, ok…I’ll try,” she said with a smile.
Julia was fighting the urge to get up and help with the
meal, but she also enjoyed sitting there just watching Aaron. He moved around
with such ease as he sat at the grill. Even from his position he seemed to be
able to reach just fine as he babysat the steaks and chicken on the top grill
top.
“These are ready I think.” Aaron said a few minutes later as
he transferred everything on the grill to the clean tray.
Julia stood up eager for an opportunity to help out. “I can
take that,” she said as she reached out.
“Alright, thanks.” Aaron smiled up at her. He closed the lid
of the grill and laid the tongs and dirty platter on his lap. He turned and
wheeled back inside of the house and into the kitchen with Julia following.
Aaron pushed to the sink, his knees rolling right underneath it where there was
an empty space, and put the dirty serving items down into it. Julia place the
tray she carried on the counter.
Aaron opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bowl of salad
and two bottles of dressing. He leaned over and placed everything on the
counter, then he wheeled over to the stove. Leaning forward, he pulled open the
oven door and reached inside to retrieve a sheet of roasted potatoes with an
oven mitt. He placed them on the stovetop carefully.
“I think that’ll do. Can I get you something else to drink?
I’m going to have a beer I think…” Aaron turned back to the refrigerator and
pulled open the door.
“Ok, ok…you’ve convinced me. I’ll have some wine, I guess.”
She stood leaning against the counter of the island and watched Aaron reach
inside for the bottle of white wine and a beer for himself. He turned around
and put both bottles on the counter.
As Julia watched him, she also noticed then that the
cabinets and counter seemed to be of average height. There were no rugs on the
hardwood floor, and the space between the island and the outlying cabinets was
wide. Aaron navigated the area easily. The only modification Julia saw was the
empty space under the sink, which allowed Aaron to roll right underneath.
Does he keep anything
in the upper cabinets? How would he reach?
Aaron filled a wine glass for Julia and twisted off the cap
of a beer for himself. “Here you go…,” he said with a smile as he pushed the
wine glass to her from across the island.
“Thank you.” Julia smiled.
“Let’s eat! Plates are here…” Aaron gestured to a stack of
two on the counter. “You go first.” He backed up out of the way, and Julia came
around the counter.
“You should go first, you did all the work!” Julia laughed
and began to fill a plate. She got a grilled chicken breast, a small steak,
roasted potatoes, and salad.
Aaron started to fill a plate after Julia. “We can eat
outside if you’d like.”
“Sounds good to me.” Julia said as she waited for Aaron.
He finished getting his food and lay the plate on his knees.
He carefully pushed to the back door and out onto the patio and Julia followed
him. He placed the plate on the dining table and gestured for Julia to sit.
“I’ll grab some silverware and napkins.” He spun around and pushed back into
the house quickly.
Julia pulled out a chair and sat down, then looked up to see
Aaron coming out. He rolled over to her and handed her a set of silverware
wrapped in a napkin. “You might need these…”
Julia let out a small laugh. “I mean, I might…”
The weather was nice and the sun had begun to set, bringing
the temperature down with it. The setting was perfect for an outdoor meal on
the patio. As they ate, a steady conversation flowed. They talked for a while
even after both of their plates were empty. Aaron went inside and retrieved the
bottle of wine and another beer for himself, then returned for the pan of lemon
bars.
“I haven’t had these in years.” Aaron said as he cut into
the dessert and lifted one out for Julia.
“Well, I haven’t made them in years, so…you’ve been warned.”
She said with a laugh, a nod to when Aaron had warned her about the tuna salad
sandwich day at the hospital on her first day there.
Aaron served one for himself and dug in with his fork. “Oh
yeah. These are delicious.” He closed his eyes and mocked savoring the bite.
Julia laughed and shook her head. “They’re alright…”
They each finished off dessert and Aaron collected their
dirty dishes. “Want to see the rest of the place?”
“Sure, I’d love to.” Julia stood and pushed her chair back.
Aaron placed the dirty plates and silverware of his lap and
Julia grabbed the pan of lemon bars and bottle of wine. They made their way
back into the house. Julia placed the lemon bars and wine on the counter and Aaron
deposited the dishes in the sink.
“Alright…,” he said with a smile when he spun around. “This
way.” Aaron pushed forward slowly.
Julia followed him and they turned a corner leading from the
kitchen. Aaron pulled open a door and flipped on an overhead light,
illuminating the garage. He rolled down a small ramp smoothly. His Jeep was
parked inside next to a wall of storage shelves. As they made their way around
the front of the Jeep, Julia saw that a tool bench and a tool chest were along
the opposite wall. A four-wheeled low to the ground bike was also parked there.
It had a seat and handle bars, almost like a traditional two-wheeled bike.
His bike. So, he does
still ride…
“So, here’s the man
cave, if you will.” Aaron said with a grin.
“Man cave is right. Testosterone is just everywhere in
here!” Julia laughed as she looked around.
“Come on, I’ll show you the other rooms.” Aaron turned
around and pushed up the short ramp back into the house with ease.
Julia followed Aaron as he pushed past the living room and
down another hallway. He turned quickly into the first room they came to and
switched on the light.
“My office is here. Pretty boring.” The room had a corner
desk and some bookshelves. A desktop computer and a laptop were both on the
desk. Julia immediately noticed the framed photographs on the walls; the same
that she had seen at Dr. Andersen’s office.
Julia nodded as she looked around. “It’s not boring…it’s
nice.”
Aaron shrugged a shoulder and nodded his head toward the
door. Julia stepped aside and he pushed into the hallway.
“Restroom here, if you need it”, he said as he pointed the
room out.
“Guest room is in here. Or Hotel Evans as it’s known to my
family.” He said with a low chuckle when he flipped on the light. They stayed
at the doorway and peered inside.
The room was large with a nicely made queen sized bed
situated in the middle. A chest of drawers, two bedside tables with a couple lamps,
and a flat panel television completed the room.
“Hotel Evans looks like the place to stay! I don’t blame
them.” Julia said.
“My room is back here.” Aaron reversed his chair and turned
down the hallway. He pushed forward into a dark room and flipped the light
switch on the wall and the room lit up. A dark wood four post king sized bed
was in the middle of the room with a sitting area off to the side, and a dark
wood wardrobe was at the end of the bed against the wall. A fan hung over the
bed from the high ceiling.
Not wanting to invade the private space any further, Julia
stayed at the doorway.
Don’t be nosy, Julia.
Keep your distance.
“Ah, so he does sleep…,” Julia said softly.
“He does.” Aaron nodded in agreement with a smile. He turned
then and switched off the light.
“Want another drink?” He asked as he pushed back down the
hallway toward the kitchen.
“Sure.” Julia said from behind him.
They entered the kitchen again and Aaron poured Julia
another glass of wine. He then started to clean up the dishes and pans from
cooking.
“Wait, wait, wait…,” Julia said, putting her glass down.
“Let me help, please.”
Aaron gave her a look, but let her pitch in anyway. He put
the leftover food in containers and into the refrigerator while Julia rinsed
the dishes and put them in the dishwasher. Aaron wiped down the counter and
stove and then they were done.
“I’m going to excuse myself for a minute.” He said as he
lifted off of the seat of his chair.
“Ok.” Julia said with a small smile.
“You want to grab your glass?” He asked quickly and gestured
over his shoulder.
Aaron directed Julia to the living room. “I’ll be right in.
Make yourself comfortable.” He turned and pushed around the corner, out of
sight.
Taking his cue, Julia sat down on the chocolate brown soft
leather couch, bringing one leg underneath her. She sipped her wine and waited
for Aaron. The living space was a large room; big enough for the couch and two
overstuffed arm chairs. A neutral colored area rug laid underneath the
rectangular coffee table in front of the large couch, which had two square side
tables on either side. A dark maple entertainment center was against the wall,
and it housed a flat panel television. A stone fireplace was situated in the
corner of the room, with a mantle directly above it, and a painting of a
mountainous landscape hung above that. Julia glanced around and noticed several
little details were scattered around the room. A few hardcover books lay on the
coffee table, and there was one on a side table.
He has good taste…
A couple framed photos were on the side table, too, and
Julia leaned over to study them. One was an old photograph, taken many years
ago. It was a photo of a man and a woman in a loving embrace standing behind
three small children, two boys and a girl, who were all smiling. Julia thought
it must be an old picture of Aaron and his family, but she had a hard time
picking out which young boy was him; they both looked a lot alike, only one was
clearly older. The next photo was more recent; Julia picked out Aaron
immediately, sitting in his wheelchair on the end of a large group of people.
Four adults stood behind an older gray haired man and brunette older woman. One
of the standing guys in the back looked a lot like Aaron, and he had his arm
around a blonde woman. Julia assumed that was Aaron’s brother. A brunette woman
was next to a light haired guy, who held a small baby, and Julia thought that
must be his sister. A couple young kids were down in front with what Julia knew
must be Aaron’s parents. Everyone looked so happy, their smiles wide and
genuine. Julia studied it closer, taking a look at Aaron. He was leaned back in
his chair with his hands on either wheel rim. His smile looked like it was
captured during a laugh; his grin was big, and his eyes shined. Julia smiled as
she looked at him; she loved that smile.
Julia turned and looked around again. She took a sip from
her wine glass. She felt comfortable in the room, it was an inviting space.
This room feels like
him. Grounded, rustic, organized, masculine, clean, and warm.
Julia didn’t hear Aaron as he came into the living room; his
wheels silent on the hardwood floor. Julia saw him when he wheeled around the opposite
end of the couch and he had a bottle of beer between his legs. “Can I join
you?” He asked with a nod of his head toward the couch.
Julia smiled. “Please do.”
Aaron leaned forward to the coffee table and set the beer
there, then turned his chair diagonally, in the wide space between the table
and the couch. He scooted forward in the seat and lifted each leg off of the
footplate. Then he reached out and placed a hand on the couch cushion and left
the other on the edge of his chair. He swung onto the couch easily, scooting
over and back to be next to Julia. He leaned forward and pushed his chair to
the side, out of the way, then grabbed his beer. He adjusted his legs, making
sure his feet were flat on the floor, then he settled back.
Julia turned to face him then, bringing her wine glass to
her lips and taking another sip. “Thank you for dinner. You’re right. Your food
is half-way edible…”
Aaron looked at Julia and laughed. “You’re welcome. Thank
you for coming over.” He placed a hand on her leg softly.
“Well, thank you for having me…” She said as she leaned forward
and kissed his cheek.
Aaron squeezed her leg gently; his touch was comforting.
Julia smiled as she looked at him.
They both were quiet for a moment, comfortable in the
silence.
Julia broke the silence when she gestured over her shoulder
to the side table. “That’s your family in the photo, right?”
Aaron nodded. “It is. May I?” He asked as he started to lean
over toward the table and Julia leaned back so he could reach a framed photo.
With the more recent photograph in his hand, Aaron held it
out for Julia to see. “These are my parents, my dad David and my mom Katherine.
This is my older brother Jay, his wife Amy, their kids are here; Caleb and
Gracie. Then this is my little sister Cara, her husband Andrew, and their son
Mason.” Aaron pointed out everyone in the picture. “Then there’s this sucker on
the end here…,” said with a smirk as he referred to himself.
Julia laughed. “Who’s that
guy?!”
“Who let him in there?” He said sarcastically with a laugh.
He leaned forward and placed the frame on the coffee table.
“So, the middle child, huh?” Julia asked before a sip of
wine.
Aaron nodded. “I am. Stayed right under the radar growing
up.” He said with a laugh.
“And you have some nephews and a niece…” Julia also pointed
out.
Aaron smiled. “I do. They’re a handful, but they’re good
kids.”
“Uncle Aaron…” Julia teased. She reached out and squeezed
his shoulder.
They talked some more for a while, Aaron finished his beer,
and Julia polished off the glass of wine. They were comfortable together,
laughing and joking, and talking about all sorts of things.
Julia could feel the effects of the wine as the evening wore
on, and felt her inhibitions slipping. The conversation had been flowing
easily, and Julia felt like she could finally ask some questions she had
wondered about, but hadn’t asked Aaron.
“Can I ask you something?” She said.
Aaron nodded and leaned into Julia, nudging her softly.
“Anything.”
Second guessing herself suddenly, Julia looked away then, unsure
if she had the courage to actually get the words out. She was quiet for a
moment.
Aaron cleared his throat and spoke up. “My middle name is
Campbell, I’m O negative, Stones over Beatles, Presley over Cash, mint
chocolate chip, socially liberal, financially conservative, and twelve stamps
in my passport.” He rambled out quickly with a wry grin.
Julia swatted his arm playfully, feeling more at ease after
his attempt to answer some possible questions he thought she might have. “Smart
ass. All of those are good to know, though.”
Aaron laughed. “Come on. Shoot.”
“How tall…are you?” Her voice was quiet.
“Six foot two inches. One eighty five soaking wet.” He
answered quickly.
He is tall. Is? Was?...
Is?
Julia paused before asking her next question. “Do you often
turn down girls who try to get an appointment with you, only to take them out
instead?”
Aaron shook his head. He looked her in the eye then, his
face showing no signs of shying away. “No. Never. You’re the first.”
Oh, thank god.
“Have you ever been married?”
“No, I have not.” Aaron shook his head again.
“Engaged?”
“Came close one time a while ago. It didn’t work out.”
Julia was quiet then, almost satisfied.
“Hey, your turn.” He squeezed her knee gently.
Julia laughed. “Ok. Uh, my middle name is Kate, I’m AB
positive, I’d choose Stones over Beatles, AND Presley over Cash, too. Wait,
what were the others?” She let out a small laugh. “Oh yeah, uh, chocolate chip
cookie dough, Independent, and fifteen stamps in my passport.”
Aaron gave Julia a lazy smile. “Alright. And the other
stuff.”
“Ok, well, I’m five three, and I’m not saying how much I
weigh. I’ve never dated a doctor. Never been married, and I turned down a
proposal when I was young.”
Aaron nodded. “Alright. Well, I feel enlightened about you
now, too. Anything else you want to know?”
Julia was quiet, more questions seeming to come to the
surface of her mind. She looked away for a moment.
“Julia, I’m an open book. Really.” Aaron leaned to the side
and nudged her shoulder again.
Ah, what the hell. You
won’t know if you don’t ask.
“Do you have any pain? Because of your injury…” Julia asked
softly as she looked at him.
Aaron nodded his head slightly. “Some. In my lower back
especially. Then my right leg, with that tiny bit of sensation,” he reached
down and tapped his thigh. “I get this prickly feeling sometimes that drives me
absolutely crazy.”
Julia listened closely as he answered.
Aaron went on. “It’s manageable though. It’s really not
bad.” He reassured.
Julia nodded understandingly. “Do you have to take
medication for the pain?”
Aaron shook his head. “Nothing regularly, no. I did when I
first got hurt and also took something for spasms, but I stopped both. The
spasms don’t really bother me, plus they help to keep muscle tone, and pills
just deaden all of that.”
Julia thought back to when Aaron’s knee had bounced up and
down the night they had drinks. She now realized what he meant by saying “It
happens…”
“These guys,” Aaron placed a hand on his knee and gestured
to his legs. “Aren’t too thin yet. I’ve really tried to work my legs as much as
I can with the rest of my parts, so I don’t have too much atrophy. I work out
just about every day, though, and stretch to keep things loose and working.
Range of motion is important because my joints are susceptible to locking up if
they’re not moved around a lot.”
Julia looked down at his lower half. If she hadn’t known
better, she wouldn’t have known he was unable to stand straight up and stride
across the room.
“I was really lucky with my injury.” He paused. “Well, as
lucky as one could be I guess.” He let out a small chuckle. “I’m a T-11, which
means I’ve still got most of my hips, and all of my abdominal muscles, and trunk.”
What about…the
other…thing.
The details he was giving were more than she expected to
get, but she dared not ask about his sexual function. Not yet anyway.
Aaron went on. “A couple of guys I was in rehab with were
quadriplegic, which is loss of function in your chest, shoulders, arms, wrists,
and hands. I was thankful to retain all of that; I could have been hurt a lot
worse.”
Julia listened as he continued.
“My legs might not work the same anymore, but I’ve still got
everything else and I make it work.” Another lazy smile spread across his face
and he shrugged.
Julia couldn’t resist reaching out and putting her hand to
Aaron’s cheek. They looked at each other; neither breaking eye contact.
“You’re pretty great, Aaron. You know that?” She said
quietly.
He reached up and pulled her hand to his mouth, pressing her
fingertips to his lips. She let him kiss her fingers and work his way to her
palm. Chills ran down her body and she could feel the swell of heat building.
He clasped his hand with hers and leaned into Julia, putting his other hand
behind her neck. He brought her mouth to his; the kiss deep. Julia leaned back
slowly, bringing Aaron with her as she went. She ran her hand across his chest
and down his back, feeling the hardened muscle there. She turned her head to
let him kiss down her neck and décolletage; his breath was warm on her bare
skin.
Aaron started to slowly pull away and pressed his hand onto
the couch behind Julia to hold himself up over her.
“Julia, I…,” he said before he paused. “I want something
with you. I want to see where this goes.”
She kept her hand behind his neck and ran her hand up into
his hair. “I do, too.”
“You need to know something though.” He looked down, his
brow furrowed.
Julia nodded. “Ok…”
“To just put it bluntly, uh…,” he looked up again. “There’s
a very good chance I will never walk again. The chair will be a part of my life
for the remainder of it. I’ve accepted that. I just…I just need you to know
that upfront.”
Julia searched Aaron’s eyes. “I understand that.”
“And I do some things…differently.” The fleeting moment of
self-consciousness she had seen one time before flashed in his eyes again.
“That’s fine. We can figure that out.” She said reassuring
him.
Aaron looked down again and Julia felt him shift his hips,
adjusting his position.
“And hey,” she said softly. “I like what we’re doing right
now. No pressure here at all, ok?”
He lifted his head, looking her in the eye. “Ok.”
She brought his head down and met his mouth, kissing him
again.
They stayed that way for a while longer, exploring each
other with their mouths, until Aaron pulled away, his arm was starting to
quiver from holding himself up.
“I’ve got to move,” he said with a forced laugh. He gently
took his hand from behind Julia and used it to push himself upright. He grabbed
the back of the couch with his other arm and pulled himself over and up. He
shifted his sitting position, lifting up on one side then the other, to sit
squarely on the couch.
Julia sat up, too, feeling warm all over. She pulled off her
jacket and laid it across the armrest, revealing the thin straps of her dress
on her shoulders. She caught Aaron steal a sideways glance at her, and she
smiled.
I saw that look…
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Aaron suddenly leaned forward onto his knees, with his back
stretched out. It was a horrible moment to try to be fighting what he felt
coming on. The tensing of his lower back signaled an all too familiar feeling.
He knew had been in that awkward position for too long as they were kissing. A
spasm was coming on fast and there was nothing he could do about it.
Seriously? At this
very moment? Next to this very pretty girl? Right after I just got done saying
that spasms don’t bother me? Well, right now they do.
Aaron could either hop in the chair and the leave the room,
or ride it out right there on the couch, with Julia watching it all. It was at
that moment that his right knee started to bounce and his left knee followed.
Shit. Too late. Here
we go.
He turned to Julia then and noticed she was watching the
involuntary movement his legs were making. “Well, speaking of spasms…,” he said
wryly.
He then leaned up and reached down to adjust his legs,
picking each one up underneath his knees and righting it. Both legs bounced up
and down and his left leg started to fall to the side. He caught it and brought
it back, then placed a hand on his thigh, keeping it in place.
As he leaned into the back of the couch he felt a hand on
his shoulder. He turned to see Julia coming toward him, her face soft. She
squeezed his shoulder gently and leaned in to kiss his scruffy cheek.
“I meant it when I said I thought you were pretty great.”
She said into his ear.
Aaron let out a low laugh. “Even with the wonky parts and
all, huh?”
“Yes, even with those.” She left her hand on his shoulder.
“Good to know.” Aaron said softly.
He lay back and closed his eyes, letting the crossed wires of his lower half work their kinks out. He knew it would be several more minutes before his uncooperative legs would calm down, but he felt better knowing that Julia was there beside him to stay.
__________________________________________________________________________________
As always...your feedback is welcomed! More to come.
So confession: this is the first installment of the story that I've read (due to limited internet access the past few months and also a bad habit of skipping ahead in stories ;) ) and already I'm hooked! Lovely characters and good writing. I can't wait to read more soon.
ReplyDeleteThank you, EJ!
DeleteBrilliant bit of writing, and a great furthering of your story. This chapter was so enjoyable to read! I love the two of them together.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading!
DeleteThat was wonderful... Should we expect the next chapter this week? :-)
ReplyDeleteSigh. I'm a little behind in posting. : ( Look for the next chapter this week.
DeleteLoved learning about Aaron's house, family, and vital stats. And he cooks! Julia is so sweet, I'm really enjoying this couple. I love how he's straightforward about his injury and her reactions are perfect. I'm taking mental notes in case I ever meet a hot para doc!
ReplyDeleteSo glad that you're enjoying them. : )
DeleteAnother awesome chapter! I'll admit, I was sad that it was late but it more than made up for the delay. And this just means we won't have to wait as long for the next one, right? ;)
ReplyDeleteDon't kill me. New chapter this week. : )
DeleteI kept refreshing the site everyday in hope to see an update of this story! Thank you so much for another wonderfully well-written chapter! Hope to see more soon. I also would like to know more about their professional lives. They seem to be busy with their jobs, and that could be another interesting point in a relationship too. :D Any chance of another chapter before next week?
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading! Another installment this week.
DeleteExcellent story, I LOVE it! Great character development and easy dialogue. And it's got lots of nice devy parts �� Can't wait for more!
ReplyDeleteSo happy to hear you love it. I appreciate that greatly!
DeleteGreat characters! I love them - both.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteLove this story!!! Will you be updating soon?
ReplyDeleteYay! And yes, this week.
DeleteI absolutely adore and love this story. It captures my undivided attention, I loved the very touching last scene and the emotion expressed. Thank you so much for writing, I can't wait for the next chapter!
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading!
DeleteWhere is our author? This silence is so unlike her. I can't wait for the next chapter. ;)
ReplyDeleteSo sorry for the absence! New chapter this week.
DeleteThis week, meaning?? Today? Hee hee. ����
ReplyDeleteNow you're officially in trouble! I can't believe you've kept us waiting so long! ��
ReplyDeleteMy apologies!
DeletePlease tell me you're going to continue writing this story?!
ReplyDeleteYes, it will continue. So sorry my absence. : (
DeleteWhere are you??? Driving me crazy here !!! Lol
ReplyDeleteI'm here, I'm here! Chapter 7 is up.
DeleteI can relate to this story so strongly! Julia is exactly how I hope I'd be if I ever found a hot, low para, doctor! She makes him feel at ease. Your writing is superb, descriptions flow so naturally as well as the dialogue. Love hearing about their individual style, I'd love to borrow some of Julia's clothes. I do hope that you continue the story!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much. I'm glad you're enjoying this story.
DeleteI'm so in love with Aaron! I like his self confidence & attitude!! Also I adore the story!! Your writing style is easy going & feels really natural. Enjoying it a lot. Maybe there will be a continuation??
ReplyDelete