New Beginnings Chapter 24

Hello NB friends,
been a busy week but here we are again and I'm bringing you another chapter of NB.
Thanks to everyone who commented and also thanks to all my silent readers. I know it is not a story for everyone and only some enjoy my type of stories but I very much appreciate the ones who do like it and keep reading along.
In this chapter Anna finds out what may have caused Shane's breakdown. Everyone is supportive but loving Shane seems to get more difficult for her.
I give you Chapter 24 of New Beginnings.
Thanks to my loyal readers and commentators. You guys rock!
Hugs, Dani

No story this week

Sorry to disappoint, everyone.

The past two weeks have been really rough on me emotionally and physically. I think I may finally have found a doctor willing to investigate my joint pain and maybe help with that, so that's a tiny glimmer of light in an otherwise sea of darkness.

I wanted to start posting I/E today, but I don't have enough of it done to ensure we won't have huge gaps in between episodes/days, and I'd hate to do that to you. So my *plan* is to finish as much as I can by next week and start posting then, perhaps every other week instead of weekly, to give me more time to get stuff ready.

As for Love UnSeen, that story *will* be continuing soon. I just needed a little break since writing every episode a few days before posting it is exhausting.

Thank you all for your support and feedback. I'm very sorry I wasn't able to post at all last week, even to say I wasn't going to post, because I was at doctor appointments all day and by the time I got home we had no internet due to a major local outage.

-CA

In the meantime, feel free to let me know what you hope to see happen next in either story. Some of your ideas may end up in future episodes!

Our Choices

Hello everyone,
I hope I do not step on anyone's toes by posting today? Since I gloriously missed posting on Saturday and the blog has been a bit quiet, I thought I slip this in. If it is not okay, feel free to delete this, Lee!

Okay, those of you who participated in the poll decided almost unanimously to take the risk rather than the detour. Well... let's see how this works out!

Your Choice: Check if the truck still works

I'll be taking votes until Friday into account!

Have fun!
Lovis
Table Of Content

Between the Pages: Chapter 10

Thanks to everybody for being patient with me today! I appreciate it. :) This chapter is a little on the shorter side, but the following two or three are filled with some yummy stuff. Consider it a prologue? ;) Happy Monday, and enjoy chapter ten.

P.S.: Wondering who Max and Inez are? Check out the rest of their story right here! 

Between the Pages: Coming tonight!!

To anyone following along with Between the Pages, I'm so sorry that I haven't been able to post yet. I started a new job last week and it's kicking my butt (it also doesn't have Internet access yet, but that's a story for another blog post...*eye roll*). I don't know that a lot of you are reading or enjoying it, but for those that are, rest assured an update is coming before midnight tonight!! :-)

New Beginnings Chapter 23

Hello NB friends,
hope everyone had a great week. Mine went by so fast once again. Posting chapters every week is just another reminder for me how fast time flies.
Thursday and I am giving you Chapter 23 of NB. Thanks so much for the beautiful comments last week. It means a lot to me and I hope you like this week's chapter. Anna and Shane are not really getting their break yet and things are getting tough. Thanks for reading and commenting.
Hugs, Dani

Our Choices

This is episode 7 of Our Choices!

Your Choice: "Benjamin and I are coming with you."

Thanks for being awesome readers and playing a damn good game here!
I probably won't have internet access next week so I might not be able to upload.

Take care,
Lovis
Table Of Content

New Beginnings Chapter 22

Hello NB friends,
....and it's Thursday again. Almost midnight and I give you Chapter 22 of NB. I was rushing through my final editing a bit tonight, so much other stuff going on. It's another long chapter and as always I thank everyone who still comes along with Anna's and Shane's story. In this chapter some stuff about Shane's childhood is revealed. Thanks so much for reading and commenting,
Love ya'll, Dani

Love UnSeen Continues

Sorry this post is late. I had a pretty rough week, emotionally and physically, and this next chapter was so important I didn't want to rush it. I also didn't want to postpone it and lose the momentum, especially since I may not be able to post next week because I have multiple doctor appointments scheduled on Wednesday.

Last week, Jackson went to his doc who gave him some bad news, and was humiliated by Benji, who he went to after having his heart broken by Dan's revelation that he's engaged to a woman. This week picks up right after that disastrous lunch.

I hope it was worth the wait,

Love UnSeen - 15

Again, I may not be able to post next week. Hopefully when I return I'll have another installment of Love UnSeen as well as In/Exhale, although I may take a brief break (2-3 weeks) from this story to recover a bit. Thanks again for all your comments as I greatly appreciate them and they really do motivate me to keep going. Feel free to let me know what you hope to see happen next!

-CA

PS - Table of Contents (updated for those who want to catch up or re-read any previous parts)

Between the Pages: Chapter 9

Happy Monday again! Hope everybody had a fantastic weekend! Thanks a million to everyone who read last week's chapter. This week is chapter nine of Between the Pages. We've already seen Inez in her work element...this week we get a little glimpse into Max's. I hope you all enjoy it, and I look forward to hearing what you think! :)

Happy reading,
EJ

And for those just hopping on...a table of contents can be found here. 

Our Choices

Here comes episode 6 of Our Choices! As always thanks for playing and commenting, it's much appreciated! :)

Your Choice: Shoot

Have a great weekend!

Lovis

Table Of Content

New Beginnins Chapter 21

Hello my friends,
here we are again. Thanks sooooo much for the comments I had last week. They made me very happy and I want to reply to all of you every so often so you know I read every comment and I appreciate it so much. You reading my stories means so much to me.

Someone asked if I had a chapter in Shane's POV but I have to tell you I unfortunately don't have one. This was the only story I ever wrote in First Person from Anna's POV and it's written all the way like this. I always worry I would not be a good male POV writer, because I don't fully know how guys think and I don't want to mess up the male POV with a female undertone or thought process.

The stories I posted in the past were written in Third Person and I felt okay with that, telling the story usually with my male protagonist being the main character and I guess that relayed a bit of a male POV. I'm still mastering my writing skills, actually been reading a book on POV's lately but it is only a hobby and my time in furthering my amateur writing into something more professional is limited. Work, family, pets, house, friends and the hobby of writing on the side...

With all this being said this week's chapter is a long one again, I just didn't know where to cut it so here is Chapter 21 of NB. I read over it several times, read it aloud and made some changes but I think it's ready to go. Anna and Shane are trying to cope with the separation and still working out all the issues they face, realizing lengthy separations are just not going to work very well for them.

Please know I appreciate and love all my readers,
Yours, Dani
Here is the TOC of NB

Love UnSeen Continues

Sorry this is a bit late. This week hasn't been wonderful for me. My blood pressure tanked and I had to go off half my meds as a precaution, then my machine I use to help with my headache pain stopped working abruptly and with no explanation, so it's been a fun few days... But I got the chapter done! And it's a long one, relatively, so I hope you'll enjoy it, even if there's no Dan in this one.

Jackson goes to his doctor and then a surprise lunch this week.

Love UnSeen - 14

Thank you so much for all your feedback. It's so wonderful to see how many of you are enjoying this story. It pushes me to keep writing every week no matter how I'm feeling because I don't want to disappoint you all by not having a chapter done. :)

-CA

PS - Table of Contents (updated for those who want to catch up or re-read any previous parts)

Between the Pages: Chapter 8

This week is chapter eight of Between the Pages. THANK YOU so much to everyone who commented last time and everyone who read it too! I'm glad you all seem to be enjoying the story so far, and I hope that continues... :)

Also happy memorial day and thank you so much to everyone who has ever served in the military in any sort of capacity. You guys are the heroes!

Chapter 8
Table of Contents

New Beginnings Chapter 20

Dear friends of NB,
thanks for reading last week's chapter and for the lovely comments. Whoever still likes to follow along with Anna and Shane's dramatic love story, it ain't over yet. Anna leaves Shane behind with his brother and they both are hoping to make it work somehow. This chapter is somewhat transitional as they say Good Bye and Anna leaves.
I give you this week's shorter chapter Chapter 20 and want to thank you very much for reading and commenting.
Hugs, Dani
TOC New Beginnings

Love UnSeen Continues

Last week we left off with the bomb that Dan is married. This week picks up right where we left it, as Jackson demands some answers.

Love UnSeen - 13

Thank you so much for all your feedback! I'm really happy so many of you are enjoying this story. For those of you who have asked, I do plan on revising this and submitting it for publication once I have a completed draft. Your input and encouragement has really helped me keep this story going even when I've been stuck, so I'm very grateful for that.

I have been able to do a bit more writing lately, and I'm working on both In/Exhale and Love UnSeen simultaneously. I'm still hoping I can start posting the latter starting next month. I'm also hopeful that I'll have another installment of LU next week so you won't have too long to wait.

Hope you guys don't hate me too much after this week's installment. Next week we'll see Jackson go to his doctor's appointment, and more I don't want to spoil.

-CA

PS - Table of Contents (updated for those who want to catch up or re-read any previous parts)

Footsteps - Coda/Thank You is up!

Well, that's it folks. 

Thank you so much for coming along on this ride with me, and I'm sorry I made you wait for the last three sections for, like, a year or something. I promise that the next story I post will be ready to go, once a week, until it's all posted. Having said that, I probably won't be posting on the blog for a while now. If you want to get in touch though, just let me know. 

I've been really moved by your comments and feedback - genuinely, there have been days when I've done a complete U-turn because I've read your comments on something that's been ticking away in the back of my brain for two years now. You're a lovely community of people, and thank you. 

Ok, well, that's enough from me! There are a few words in this next chapter/ending/thing which I know (from making a number of my American friends giggle/confused) are at least more common in, if not unique to, British English in this, so if you’re not sure, just ask in the comments… I don’t think it’ll get in the way though. I must have been topped up on Earl Grey tea and crumpets or something when I wrote this…

Also, this is very fluffy and a bit sugary. So have some self-indulgent fluff from me as a huge thank you for reading and engaging with this story. Everyone deserves a happy ending. 

Coda

(I should add that there's a PTSD episode in there amongst all the fluff, just as a bit of a warning.) 

Table of Contents

Thank you so much, and take care

Rose

Between the Pages: Chapter 7

Happy Monday again! This week is chapter seven of Between the Pages. This chapter was originally really long with a good bit happening in it so I broke it up into two...but as a result this week's is on the shorter side. But next week will make up for it :) As always (and as everyone else always says too) thank you for the comments and for reading in general! It makes all of us writers so happy to know people are reading and enjoying what we're doing...and sometimes it helps get our creative juices flowing too! :)

If you're just hopping on, check out the Table of Contents!

Our Choices

This is the fifth episode of Our Choices! Thanks for your comments guys, they absolutely made my day! And wow, what a tight decision this time =)

Your choice: Go inside through the window, alone

I am on holidays next week, so the next update will be in two weeks.
Cheers,
Lovis
TOC

New Beginnings Chapter 19

Hello friends,
it's Thursday, time for New Beginnings.
First off thanks for the sweet comments last week and thanks to everyone who follows this story.
It's been a rough week and I didn't have much time to edit this chapter but I think it is ready to go. Anna stays another day with Shane's family, waiting for him to come home from his first day at his new job. Jenny and her become closer friends and Jenny tells her a bit more about Shane's past.
Since it's their last night together for a while Anna and Shane spend it the only way they should -- very close.
Hope you enjoy Chapter 19 of NB and as always thanks so much,
Yours, Dani
Table Of Contents NB

Love UnSeen Continues

Surprise! I was fortunate and was able to get this finished early so it was ready to go this morning.

Last week, we left off where Jackson ran into his ex at a gay bar/coffee shop and was "saved" by Dan's call, inviting Jackson to join him for takeout back at the house. This week picks up right after that. I hope you enjoy.

Love UnSeen - 12, pt 2

I plan on posting again next week if things continue to go well, writing wise. I'm so glad you all are enjoying this story. Thank you for your feedback!

-CA

PS - Table of Contents (updated for those who want to catch up or re-read any previous parts)

Footsteps - Chapter Eighteen is Up!

Thank you so much for your lovely comments on last week's way-long-overdue episode. I cannot tell you how happy it makes us writers when you guys take the time to leave feedback. Seriously.

Without (too much!) further ado, because I think I waffled on enough in last week's post, here's the link to the last chapter of Footsteps. This and the previous one were originally all one chapter, but I split it up. That's why this one is a bit shorter than the last one, but I felt like it worked better as a stand-alone chapter, whereas before it all dragged on a bit too long...

Thank you so much for coming along with me on this story. It's been a pleasure. And I promise that if/when I post more stories on here, they will be completely written and edited and ready to go on a weekly basis before I start posting...!

I do have one more little bit planned for this story as a little bit of an epilogue/coda/thank-you, so hopefully that'll be up next Tuesday.

Chapter Eighteen

Table of Contents

Thank you, and take care,

Rose

Between the Pages: Chapter 6

Happy Monday, everybody! I hope you all had a fantastic weekend; and to the mothers on the blog: I hope you each had a wonderful day being celebrated! :) I'm here today delivering chapter six, which I hope you all like because it's one of my favorites. Thank you for all of the encouraging comments last week!!!! Your comments really do make my day. I hope you all enjoy this next installment of Between the Pages. :)

Table of Contents

Our Choices

Welcome to the fourth episode of Our Choices! Last week you decided to be brave (much braver than I would have been) and not to call the guy for help. Well, here's a shout out to strong woman! Special thanks to the person who suggested an alternative answer. A wise choice to arm yourself! I built that into the story, but without asking Ezra since I am quite sure he would not have patiently sat downstairs and waited for Caroline to shoot the potential zombie with his gun.

Okay, let's see if you've done the right thing or risked too much...

Your choice: Reach for the gun

Have a great weekend!
Lovis

New Beginnings Chapter 18

Hello friends,
time flies when you're busy and here is Thursday again. Thanks for all your comments last week, I know it was a long chapter.
This week's installment is a bit shorter and it's more of a finishing up the day Anna and Shane shared with their very wet and hot adventure last week. And no, they didn't catch a cold, that would just be way too much drama...:-) lol
Here is Chapter 18 of NB. I hope you enjoy reading this one.You guys mean a lot to me,
Thanks for reading,
Yours, Dani

Love UnSeen Continues

Hey, everyone! I'm back from my trip. A lot of pain and disappointment but still some promise... Sadly, we won't know anything for weeks to months. I appreciate your support and patience!

I wanted to get all of Chapter 12 done for you all today but I am just too tired, so I decided to post the first half and get the second half for you next week. Figured you'd all prefer something rather than nothing for another week.

Last week, Jackson was surprised by his ex, Benji, in a gay coffee shop/bar where they used to hang out back in grad school. Their convo picks up where it left off last chapter.

Love UnSeen - 12 - pt 1

Still hoping I can get back to posting In/Exhale in June, but progress is very slow. I *am* working on it, I just haven't been able to do too much with it each week. But I will get it posted again through hell or high water!

-CA

PS - Table of Contents (updated for those who want to catch up or re-read any previous parts)

Footsteps - Chapter Seventeen is up

Wow, hi. It's been a while... I made you guys wait for this one, didn’t I? I'm sorry about that. Turns out after my post on Friday that a few of you do remember what’s going on in this story, and who I am, so thank you! I'm really touched by your comments. I’ll put in a ‘read more’ so that I don’t clog up an entire page with this intro/explanation to the latest chapter which has become a small essay…

Between the Pages: Chapter 5

Two posts in one day! Without any further ado.... Chapter 5. Hope y'all enjoy, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts!!

Between the Pages: Chapter 4

This week's update of Between the Pages is in! I hope you guys enjoy it! This chapter is kind of a filler chapter...so I might post another later today too--and I think you guys will really like that one. :D Also, holy wow! THANK YOU everyone who commented!! I love reading comments and getting advice. You guys are so awesome. :)

Enjoy chapter 4! Chapter 5 will (possibly) be forthcoming later today. 

Table of Contents (for those of you just hopping on the train!) 

Our Choices

Thanks guys for playing this game! This is the third episode of Our Choices. I managed to disable the tracking function, so you will not see yourself on a map anymore. Apologies for that!! I did not realize it would do that. Plus, in this chapter there is the possibility to add your own suggestion to the answers. But beware, you can only vote once! =) I wish you fun with:

Your choice: Try to make a deal

Lovis

Slipping - A Short Story

I've been away from the blog for so long that I had to ask Lee what the rules were now on posting because I'm actually ready now to post my next chapter of Footsteps (I know, right? You even remember that story, let alone who I am?!). When I found out Fridays are for short stories and one-shots, I asked if I could post this. I'm aiming to post Footsteps on Tuesday 9th May, but if anyone wants to use that day, just let me know in the comments on this post.  

I'll do a longer post on Tuesday to go with Footsteps Chapter 17, but just wanted to thank those of you who have left me nice comments, encouraging me to finish Footsteps. It's now finished, with a fluffy little Post Script also being written. Lovis is kindly going to give it a quick look over before Chpt 17 gets posted, so thanks Lovis! I've got two more chapters of Footsteps left to post, so I'll aim for Tuesday 9th and 16th, and hopefully 23rd for the coda. 

This is my first M/M story on the blog. It's non-explicit, and it features some dissociative (specifically derealisation) behaviour. And I'm choosy about when I reveal my names, so you'll have to indulge me and play the pronoun game for a bit… It's a story of a connection lost at a time of great change and trauma, and the power of reconnection a little bit later in life.  

This one was really dear to me, and I loved writing it. Let me know your thoughts on it if you'd like to, and I'll see you on Tuesday! Rose. 

New Beginnings Chapter 17

Hello my friends,
this week I made it on time, finished editing and reworking this next chapter. It's a long one this time. I was thinking about where to cut it in half but since it is all happening in one day I figured I leave it all together.
Anna and Shane are going through an emotional day but ending with their love for each other and the very longing to make their relationship work despite Anna leaving soon.
I realize my story is not very cheerful and my characters are broken and tortured souls. That's why I'm thankful for the people who are okay reading this story and are staying with me throughout Shane's and Anna's complicated love story.
I give you this week's Chapter 17 of NB and want to thank everyone who reads along and always welcome your comments.
Hugs, Dani

Between the Pages: Chapter 3

As usual, thanks everybody for reading! I hope you guys like this next chapter--and the story in general! Also, I've gone back and replied to comments (I'm so bad at that). Thank y'all again for always being so encouraging and helpful!!

 Table of Contents

Our Choices

Thanks guys for your comments last time! Seems like we have enough people to play. I'm thrilled! =) My plan is to post weekly, though I really cannot guarantee anything. To give myself time to write the next chapter I will consider all votes until and including Wednesday! I hope that gives everyone a chance to cast a vote.
At the end of last episode you chose not to get killed by zombies (though a few of you apparently have a death wish). Good job! ;D Of course this was a bit of a test question and the decisions will get harder than this in the following episodes. And be warned... wrong decisions will have consequences! Characters might die and when the main character dies, the game is over.
But now let's continue with Our Choices, Episode 2...

Your choice: Go inside 

Have fuuun!
Lovis

New Beginnings Chapter 16

Hello my friends,
sorry about the delay today. It's been so busy and I have to admit this chapter was somewhat challenging for me, not really sure why but I had to work on it quite a bit and it seems every time I read over it I found something else to edit.

When I first wrote this story like 8 or so years ago and put all of it on paper in spiral notebooks just to get it out of my head there were so many things I didn't know and it took quite some work and lots of editing last year and now every week as I post a new chapter for you I still edit, and I still work on it.

Anyhow...this chapter was a bit rough but I think it's good to go now and I hope you enjoy some more intimate and close moments between Anna and Shane, and no, it's not sex...:-)
As their love story unfolds with lots of problems along the way, I want to thank you for reading and commenting. You all mean a lot to me so here is Chapter 16. Hope you enjoy and thanks again,
Hugs, Dani

Love UnSeen Continues

Jacky's back! Hope you enjoy this week's episode:

Love UnSeen - 11

I am going to a diagnostic hospital for a week starting Saturday and so I will NOT be posting next week (May 3). I probably won't even be able to post that I'm not posting. FYI. It's going to be a grueling week, so there's a good chance I won't be able to have anything ready for the week after, either. However, as always I'll do my best to try to give you guys something to read.

Thank you for reading and understanding,

-CA

PS - Table of Contents (updated for those who want to catch up or re-read any previous parts)

Between the Pages: Chapter 2

Thank you so much for all of the encouraging comments last week! They really mean the world to me. :) This second chapter is a wee bit longer and really starts to set some stuff up...so I hope you all like it! 

Also, a table of contents...for those of you who might have missed the first chapter! ;)

Last excerpt

This is one final chapter I wanted to post from Crazy in Love.  It's uber devlicious and I just wanted to show it to you guys, in case you just aren't into books.  I hope y'all think it's hot.

Matt gets his first wheelchair

New Beginnings Chapter 15

Hey NB friends,
hope everyone had a great week.
Thanks for your comments last week and thanks to everyone who is still reading along with NB. This week a fling from Shane's past shows up at the party and causes quite a stir.
I give you Chapter 15 of NB. I hope you enjoy it and I'm ever so thankful to the readers of my story and always appreciate your comments.
Hugs, Dani
TOC NB

No post this week

Sorry, for health reasons I wasn't able to get anything finished for this week.

But I am making progress on In/Exhale and hopefully will be able to resume weekly (or maybe alternating I/E with Love UnSeen) this summer.

Thank you all for your comments and your patience.

-CA

New story: Between the Pages

Hi, everyone!

I'm back with a new story. I have a bad habit of getting stuck in stories and needing a break and starting new ones to get the creative juices flowing again...looking at you "Margaret's Chance" which is how this new little story was born.

Side note: I'm sorry to those of you who follow "Margaret's Chance." :-( It IS going to get finished...but probably not for some time. I just can't get things the way I want them when writing it right now.

But back to Between the Pages. I've planned the entire thing out and I've already written enough to post eleven full chapters, but full disclosure, it isn't finished yet. I've gone ahead and posted the first chapter here to see if y'all even like it. If you do and want me to keep posting, I will!

P.S.: I've gone back through the posts since February and it seems like Mondays are currently free. However, if I've made a mistake, please someone let me know!

And now on to...Between the Pages, Chapter 1

Matt falls

I mentioned in a post last week that I published a new book that's a romance about a guy with MS and a woman with OCD.  Some of you bought the book, and for that, I thank you.  But I'm sure lots of you haven't, for whatever reason.

Ultimately, I write because I want people to enjoy my work.  So since things are slow on the blog, Lee gave me permission to post another 2-chapter excerpt from the book on here, for those of you who just aren't into reading whole books.  This is another supah dupah devvy scene (according to two readers), and I tried to make it into something that's enjoyable for people who haven't read the rest of the book. 

Matt falls.....

Please enjoy!  I may post one more of my favorites, if that's okay!  And I'm also working on a new short story for the blog.

YOUR story!

Hi everyone,

I'm back with a new story and it's going to be different than anything before. Have you ever wondered what the zombie apocalypse would be like for a para? No?! Well, I got the answer anyway :D Plus, and that's the actual new thing here at least for me, this story will not work without YOU and it will shape according to YOUR CHOICES! I hope it will be fun! If you know the Walking Dead video game by Telltale Games you will know how it works and for everyone else: find out with Season 1 Episode 1.

This is just a test, I do not even have a title yet but I am very open to suggestions :) If you are interested in the story and the poll works for everyone (I tried to make sure it works on an iPhone, since I cannot comment from my phone which is always a bummer) I think I could get ready to start posting maybe in a month...? I'm very excited to get it out there at least and a bit on edge because I have never started posting a story that was not finished... I promise I will go through with it until the end of season 1 (right now I plan for 3 seasons but it's hard to determine... I'm trying not to develop this into a Monte Carlo experiment :D).

With that I wish you an awesome Easter weekend!
Lovis

New Beginnings Chapter 14

Hi guys,
another week gone by and another chapter ready for you.
I guess people weren't too much into the chapter last week which of course got my brain working in overdrive trying to figure out if it was not really good or too much or too little of something. Especially since I want to try to write good sex scenes, now I am not sure anymore. Oh well, this week there won't be any sex but you will meet Shane's brothers with their families and significant others. I hope that'll be something you enjoy reading about.
Anna and Shane arrive at Jordan's house and it's somewhat awkward and stressful for everyone. Here is Chapter 14 of New Beginnings. Thanks to everyone who likes reading this story. I always appreciate if you give me some feedback.
Hugs, Dani
TOC New Beginnings

Love UnSeen Continues

Sorry for the long wait for this scene. I've been so exhausted and feeling so bad my writing ability/productivity has dropped to almost zero, but I know how badly you guys have been waiting for this scene that I hammered it out as best I could.

I hope you're not too disappointed:

Love UnSeen - 10

Thank you so much for all your suggestions! Even if they didn't appear in this scene, don't worry I have filed them all away for use at some point in the story. I had already planned for us to see Jackson at work at some point, and I'm glad that's something some of you would like to see!

I am more than open to any other ideas or suggestions for things you'd like to see happen in the next episode or further on.

Thanks for reading,

-CA

PS - Table of Contents (updated for those who want to catch up or re-read any previous parts)

Reckless Behavior: Final Chapter!

Whew. Well, this is it, people. Last chapter. To those of you who read the whole thing, please know know that I really appreciate you.

Chapter Seventeen

Enjoy!

Table of Contents

Last week...

Cassia and Aster learn about Croton's motives. Samuel and Molly face off in the parking lot. Aster agrees to sacrifice Cassia for his mobility. Later, he gets a nurse to take him where he wants.

If you're interested in quad stories, feel free to check out my other stories:

Lies, All Lies

Birds Playing​ Electrical Guitar

New Book!

I'm going to take advantage of Free Friday to let you all know about my newest book, Crazy in Love!

Buy a copy today!

It's about a woman named Anna who has OCD and her developing relationship with a man named Matt who was recently diagnosed with a progressive form of multiple sclerosis that promises to end his ability to walk in five years.  Matt doesn't believe his diagnosis until he sees his mobility slowly deteriorate over time. From Amazon:

They call her Crazy Anna.

Anna Flint won’t shake your hand. She collects tin cans. She cleans her cubicle at work with Lysol several times a day. But Anna doesn’t care that they call her crazy. She’s absolutely satisfied with her life of perfect organization, cleanliness, and most of all, solitude.

Matt Harper likes Anna Flint. He likes that she’s the smartest person he knows and he likes her big blue eyes. He doesn’t even mind her can collection. In fact, he pretty much likes everything about Anna. As his body and his world are falling apart, she still manages to make him happy.

Matt is the only person Anna has ever wanted to be close to. But how can she go on a date with him if the thought of dinner at a restaurant fills her with terror? How can she ever kiss the man she loves if she can't even touch him?

Maybe it’s time to stop being Crazy Anna. If only she could.

Buy a copy today!

If you're still not sure if you want to read it, please enjoy an excerpt from the book that also works as a story.  If you don't find this incredibly devvy, then I probably can't convince you.

Read the excerpt!

New Beginnings Chapter 13

Hello my friends,
Thursday is NB day...
first off, thank so much for all your comments last week, they made me so happy.
I appreciate all my readers and fans of NB so much.
Anyhow, I am bringing you a new chapter of NB and it is another steamy one. I tell you guys though, sex scenes are not easy to write, especially when they need to be hot and devy at the same time. 
So after the crazy night at the bar Anna and Shane make out once again, but in all their lust also realizing how much they love each other.
I hope you enjoy the story as we move along with this weeks Chapter 13. Thanks for reading and commenting, I appreciate you.
Hugs, Dani
TOC New Beginnings

No story today.

Sorry. I'll have something next week, hopefully.

Thanks for understanding.

-CA

Reckless Behavior Update

Hi guys! Sorry for the wait. Honestly I've been having trouble finding time lately to write... I know this story doesn't appeal to most of you on here, which I totally get, especially since I haven't had a lot of time to work on plotting and editing. Still, I am really appreciative of those who read and comment on my chapters. It gives me the inspiration to keep writing, so thanks!

I think next week is going to be the last chapter. Here's the second-to-last, Chapter Sixteen.

Last week...

Cassia thinks back to when she first had sex with Aster. The two of them are taken to the lab, where Cassia receives down shocking news. Croton gives them a difficult decision to make.

And, as always, the Table of Contents.

New Beginnings Chapter 12

Hello friends of NB,
it's Thursday and I am bringing you Chapter 12 of NB. Are you ready for some more drama and love? I hope so because in this chapter Anna and Shane have to fight for their love once again. I know I'm not making it easy for the two but easy would be boring. And don't we like the love against all odds story? I know I do ;-). Well, very heartfelt thanks to everyone who reads along and thanks for all comments.
Hugs, Dani
TOC NB

In/Exhale Interlude This Week

I've been having so much pain in my hands and have been extremely exhausted (sleeping half the day and still feel like I'm dragging the weight of the world around), so I haven't been able to write the past two weeks ;-;.

I didn't wan to leave you guys another week without anything, though, so I'm giving you an In/Exhale flashback. I'd actually debated about posting it at all, and if so it would have gone after Sunday and before Monday (we stopped on Saturday as the last I've posted), but since Sunday still isn't finished I figured it'd be better to give it to you now than nothing at all.

I can't make any promises for when In/Exhale will continue after this. I'm really hoping soon. I'm also hoping I can get unstuck with Love UnSeen because it's being very stubborn.

This episode takes place a few weeks after Kai was recovered from his aunt's house. He's been in the hospital recovering from his injuries and malnourishment and undergoes his first of several surgeries. It's from Cathy's (aka "The Warden") and Art's point of views, and so it'll give you a different view of the circumstances, I hope. I think you may also see Art a little differently, too.

Flashback: September 28, 1988

Thanks again for all your support. The past six months have been very difficult for me, emotionally and physically. I've found myself on more than one occasion tapping Kai's strength, knowing if he can get through all that he has then I can, too.

-CA

PS - You might want to refresh your memory on Dr. Miller's findings about Kai's status once he was recovered from his aunt's house in the last posted episode, or if there's any other episode you need to catch up on, check out the Table of Contents.

No update this week

There won't be a chapter of Reckless Behavior this week. Sorry guys! I try to limit my 'skips' to one per story, but things don't always work out that way... Anyway thanks to those that are still reading my story! See you next week!

Letting Go Update

Hi lovely people,
here is the last part of Letting Go: Part III. I sure hope you remember where we left off last time because we are diving right in =)
Cheers
Lovis

New Beginnings Chapter 11

Hello again, hope everyone is well.
It was another busy week for me but I think I got the chapter ready for you. This week Anna and Shane have to support each other as Shane has his last PT appointment and Anna has to pick up her brother's ashes. Thanks to everyone for reading and commenting last week. You all mean so much to me. So here is Chapter 11 of NB. Hope you enjoy and I'm always looking forward to your comments.
Hugs, Dani   

TOC New Beginnings

No stories today

Sorry, everyone.

I just can't write as much as I used to be able to because of my health issues. I think you can expect that I'll be on a biweekly (every other week) schedule for posting for the foreseeable future.

I will try my darndest to give you something every other week if nothing else, but I can't make any promises.

I will NOT give up on Love UnSeen until it's finished, I promise you that, and I also am still working (albeit slowly) on In/Exhale.

Thanks for your feedback and understanding.

-CA

Reckless Behavior Chapter Fifteen

Hello everyone! Here we are, Chapter Fifteen already. I feel like I just started writing this story, and now it's almost over. I've also got The Table of Contents, if you'd like to catch up.

Last week...

Molly and Samuel confront Aster and Cassia at the strip mall. Samuel convinces them to stay at his house. In the middle of the night, Aster and Cassia are forcibly taken from the house.

New Beginnings Chapter 10

Hi friends,
this week went by so fast. Over the last week I was so sick with the second bad cold this year and am still recovering. So maybe I didn't edit the chapter this week as thorough as I wanted to and again the chapter turned out long. Thanks for your wonderful comments last week. In this chapter Anna and Shane spent the day on a little outing and then go visit Anna's workplace in the evening. A small incident at the club causes some frustration. Well, here is  Chapter 10 of NB. Hope you enjoy the ride and let me know, I love your comments and thank you so much. Hugs, Dani

Love UnSeen Continues

Sorry for such a short chapter this week...!

I'm apparently still sick with an infection and we're trying to figure out what it is exactly, so while I wait for test results I'm dealing with feeling awful on top of all my normal health issues. So it's hard to be productive.

Hope you guys enjoy. 

Love UnSeen - 09

I'll admit I'm a little stuck as to what happens next, though. I wouldn't mind your suggestions!!

-CA

PS - Table of Contents (updated for those who want to catch up or re-read any previous parts)

Reckless Behavior Chapter Fourteen

We're getting close to the end, guys... Of my story, I mean. Hope you enjoy this week's chapter!

Chapter Fourteen

Table of Contents (Finally got over my laziness and updated it. So there's that.)

Last week:
Aster and Cassia argue about leaving Molly's house. Samuel and Molly follow them. Aster and Cassia scope out the lab under the strip mall. Cassia hears someone coming.

Letting Go Update

Hi everyone!
Thanks so much for your comments last time, they mean a lot :) In this new part of the story the disability will be revealed! So find out if you have been on the right track: this is Part II of Letting Go.
Hugs
Lovis

New Beginnings Chapter 9

Hello NB friends,
wow, I just finished editing this week's installment and it's once again a really long one. I thought about cutting it in half somewhere but I just couldn't find a good place to cut it. Well, I edited the whole thing and it's ready to go I guess.
Reading over it many times throughout the week, reworking it, changing things a bit here and there, I sometimes think to myself how heavy the drama is and even to me it's sometimes exhausting and I finish the chapter and just have to breathe. I am definitely glad there are people who like to read this kind of stuff. Sorry about the F-bombs in the story but that's just the way Shane is.
So in this week's chapter Anna finds out some disturbing things about Shane's past. And amidst the news about Shane and the emotional rollercoaster they once again can't stay away from each other. So I give you Chapter 9 of NB and thank you for your patience reading this very long chapter and hope you enjoy every bit of it. Thanks for everyone commenting last week, greatly appreciated. Hugs, Yours, Dani

No Post This Week

I'm really sorry but this week has been a bit hectic and I haven't been feeling well, so there won't be a post.

I'm hoping I can have an installment of Love UnSeen for sure next week and maybe also In/Exhale if I'm really lucky.

I just got news that I'm scheduled to go to National Jewish hospital for an evaluation the first week of May. I'm hoping they'll be able to get to the bottom of my health issues.

Thanks again for all your support,

-CA

Reckless Behavior Chapter Thirteen

Hey guys! Yeah I'm a couple of hours late... But it's still Tuesday, right?

This week's chapter is a bit shorter, since I'm playing with the pacing of the story as we get closer to the end. Enjoy!

Chapter Thirteen

Table of Contents

Last week...
Cassia and Aster try to have sex, but it goes awry. Samuel and Molly go out to eat. Aster recalls the first time he met Cassia, and Molly talks with Dr. Moscowitz.

Update to The Diaper Problem

For those of you who are reading, here is:

Part 4 of The Diaper Problem

I know this might not exactly seem like a conclusion, but it's all I've written, and I don't have time to write more, so as far as I'm concerned, it's the conclusion.  Enjoy and adios!

Skin and Scars Chapter 15

(Ok, big mistake on my part! I could have sworn I posted this on the 18th of February, but I logged in today to see that I had not.)

Hello all. Here is the next installment in Aaron and Julia's little world. This one is a teeny tiny bit on the scandalous side; you've been warned. Enjoy.

Chapter 15

And the entire thing...

Table of Contents 

New Beginnings Chapter 8

Hello my friends,
hope everyone is doing good. Thanks so much for reading and the super sweet comments last week. I appreciate it so much. In this week's chapter Anna is still struggling with accepting her attraction to Shane and there are some more clarifying, dramatic conversations and a situation where Shane is being confronted with Anna's job. But as much as I like the drama and the heart string pulling there are also lots of emotions between the two :-). Here is  Chapter 8 of NB, hope you enjoy. Thanks so much to all of you for reading and commenting,
Hugs, Dani
TOC New Beginnings

Crazy in Love: Final excerpt

It’s a few weeks later that Kelly brings me my first wheelchair. It’s not the kind people use in the hospital, but something sleeker with red trim and a single footplate in the center. She measured me for it and asked me questions about the design, which I had answered with complete indifference, knowing I’d never use the damn thing. Who cared if it was red or blue or if it had a rigid or foldable frame?

Kelly surprises me by sitting in the chair and wheeling over to me, in what is apparently a live demo. I know she’s trying to show me that it isn’t so bad, but part of me hates her for doing that. I don’t like that she’s cruising around in that chair like it’s not so bad when she’s able to get up out of it and walk normal at any time.

“Wanna try it out?” she asks me, as she rises to her feet.

I give the chair a sideways glance. “Not really.”

“Matt…”

“Fine, fine,” I grumble. I eye it again, trying to figure out the best way to get inside.

“Let me show you how to transfer,” she says. “I’m basically going to teach you to transfer like you’re a paraplegic, because you essentially are at this point.”

“I could use a walker to stand and then shift over,” I say.

“I think my way will be more practical,” Kelly tells me. “And you’ll still be able to do it if you can’t stand anymore.”

I wince. She says it like it’s an inevitability that I won’t be able to stand anymore someday.

She shows me how to transfer by grabbing on to the side of the wheelchair and shifting my body over using the strength in my arms. Good thing my arms have gotten a lot stronger in the last four years. Even so, it isn’t easy. Kelly hangs onto me the whole time and probably does most of the work.

And then I’m in the chair.

The second I get positioned, my stomach churns. I can’t believe I’m sitting in a wheelchair—my wheelchair. I swore I wouldn’t let this happen.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” I mumble. I lean forward, pressing my face into my hands.

Kelly rushes off to get me a trough. I gag, but I don’t throw up. But I still feel ill.

“I don’t want to be in this wheelchair anymore,” I say.

I start to try to get up, but I can’t. My crutches aren’t within reach, and the footplate makes it hard to get up. At this point, I’m starting to panic and I’m about to hurl myself at the floor. Kelly finally has me grab her around the neck, then basically lifts me out of the chair, back onto the bench.

When I’m safely out of the chair, I wipe sweat off my brow. I can’t believe I had a panic attack from sitting in a wheelchair.

“Are you okay?” Kelly asks me, peering at my face.

“Fine,” I manage.

She looks at me for a minute, then sighs. “I think maybe we need to get you used to this gradually.”

I shake my head. “I can walk just fine.”

“Are you kidding me, Matt?” Kelly folds her arms across her chest. “You can barely walk. You look like you’re struggling with every step. It’s fine if you want to do it sometimes for exercise or bone health, but you should be using the wheelchair as your primary method of mobility.”

I look down at my hands.

“I know it’s hard,” she says gently. “I know you were hoping to stay out of the wheelchair for a while. But it’s not that bad. I think you’ll be surprised how much more mobile you are once you have the wheelchair. How much more freedom you have. I mean, when is the last time you decided not to do something just because you didn’t feel like you could walk that far?”

All the fucking time.

“Think about it, Matt,” she says.

No. I can’t. It’s too soon. It’s too soon.

***

I go to work two days every week, and spend the rest of the week working from home. Peter actually offered to let me stay at home more, but I feel like if I did that, I’d become one of those weird people who has no contact with the outside world. Especially considering I’m nearly at that point right now.

Work keeps me sane. Even if a lot of people barely talk to me anymore.

But Anna does.

When I hobble into work this morning, I see Anna as I’m heading to my own cubicle. She gives me a huge smile. I definitely wouldn’t call Anna my girlfriend, but we’re something more than friends. We talk on the phone nearly every night. I know all about her parents, her sister, her interests. I’ve never been in her house though. I’ve never kissed her. I’ve never even held her hand.

It’s a complicated relationship.

I’m being incredibly patient with this girl. It helps that I can’t imagine anyone else being willing to go out with me. Girls treat me like I’m either invisible, contagious, or five years old.

“Matt!” she says, jumping out of her seat when she sees me. Some days I’m convinced she might hug me or something like that, but she never does. Don’t laugh, but I fantasize about just touching her. I jack off thinking about us holding hands.

Today I notice that Anna has a pained look on her face. Her face is paler than usual and her eyes are red-rimmed.

“Is everything okay?” I ask her.

She shrugs. “Peter was yelling at me over the cans again.”

Since the episode with Calvin, Anna has managed to rebuild her tower of cans. It’s gotten back to the level of being clearly unacceptable. Sometimes I wonder if I should sit Anna down and have a serious talk with her about the cans.

“That’s terrible,” I say instead.

“He told me I have to get rid of them,” she says, “or else I’m fired.”

I stare at her in surprise. Peter has been yelling about those cans for years, but I never thought he’d give her an ultimatum like that. Despite how angry he gets at her, I know Peter likes Anna and he thinks she’s a genius (which she is).

“So…” She looks down at the cans. “I’m going to bring them home tonight. Well, some of them. Some I might keep in a drawer. And maybe I’ll throw away some of them. Unless…” She lifts her eyes to look at me. “Do you want to take some of them home?”

“Um…” I don’t. I mean, I do and I don’t. I don’t actually want the cans. Who would? I mean, besides Anna. But I do want to take them because I know it would make her happy.

Except how the hell am I going to get them to my car? Carrying a bunch of cans is just not a possibility for me.

Maybe Anna figures that part out, because she says to me, “How about if I put one in your desk drawer? So you can see it and think of me?”

“Sure,” I say, relieved. “Of course.”

I sit down and get to work while Anna dismantles her tower of cans. I’ve got a meeting today at ten o’clock and I have to plan my whole day around it. I know this sounds bad, but I usually start heading to a meeting about thirty minutes prior, because the conference room is all the way down the hall. It would probably take most people about sixty seconds to get there, but it takes me significantly longer than that. I don’t want to worry about having to rush and accidentally falling. Also, I can’t go to the bathroom during the meeting, so I have to go right before. Which means walking to the bathroom—another long trek for me.

Maybe this is what Kelly was talking about when we talked about how I’d have more mobility if I used a wheelchair.

Still.

At 9:30 a.m., I grab my crutches with the intention of heading for the meeting. I thread my forearms through the holes, grab the handles, and plant them on the ground. Except somehow, it’s harder to get up than it usually is. I rock back and forth, trying to gain some momentum. And… nothing.

Shit.

I keep trying to get out of my chair, doing everything I can without risking falling out of my chair onto the ground. I don’t know what’s going on, if maybe the chair is lower than usual or what, but I can’t seem to get up. If I had my walker, I’d be able to get up because I’d have more leverage, but the crutches don’t give me the same stability.

It’s 9:40 now. I need to figure out how to get up and get to this meeting. Even if I missed the meeting though, I’d still eventually need to figure out how to get out of this chair. But how?

I look at the wall of my cubicle. Before I got my cane, I used to sometimes hang onto the walls of cubicles as I walked to keep from losing my balance. Maybe I could grab on to the wall of my cubicle to help pull myself to my feet. Of course, that’s a lot of weight to rest on what is a pretty thin wall. What if it collapses?

I roll my chair over to the wall of the cubicle. I grab the top of it, testing it to see how strong it feels. Not very.

I’ve got to get up somehow. And the crutches aren’t enough. I’ve got to get help.

I take out my phone and locate my buddy Calvin’s number. I send him a text message: Could you come help me with something?

A minute later, I am still glued to my chair, and Calvin is standing over me, a concerned look on his face. He’s wearing a blue dress shirt and khaki slacks, and he looks so healthy and athletic. He doesn’t look like someone who needs thirty minutes to walk to a meeting. I really, really don’t want to tell him what’s wrong. But what choice do I have?

“You okay, Matt?” he asks.

I take a deep breath. “I need help standing up.”

“Oh…”

My cheeks burn. “I don’t know why, but I just can’t… you know…”

Calvin nods. “Sure. What do you want me to do?”

I hadn’t thought about it. “I guess… just grab the back of my pants, and I’ll grab onto your neck.”

Calvin leans forward and I put my arms around his neck. I feel really helpless. Then he reaches behind me and grabs onto my pants by the waistband. He’s able to lift me easily, without even grunting. And once I’m on my feet, I’m fine. I grab my crutches and then I’m fine. But I can’t look my former best friend in the eyes.

“Are you going to be okay, Matt?” he asks me. “Will you need my help again?”

I shake my head no. Although the truth is, maybe I will. If I couldn’t get up now, what the hell am I going to do the rest of the day?

I know what I need to do.

I need to call Kelly and pick up my wheelchair.

***

Kelly fits me in after I explain what happened to me. Not only does she fit me in, but when I arrive at the therapy center, I’m shocked when I see her standing there at the entrance. I pull over next to her and roll down the window of my car. “I need some time,” I tell her. “I’ll meet you inside.”

“How are you going to get out of your car?” she retorts.

I realize with a sinking feeling that she’s probably right. If I was struggling to get out of my chair at work, getting out of the car is going to be even harder.

“Park your car and I’ll meet you,” she says.

And that’s how we end up practicing car transfers.

I leave my crutches in the car. I have a feeling that I’ll probably be retiring them after today. I can still walk with my walker, but the crutches are just not realistic anymore.

I try to stifle any residual feelings of panic as I wheel my chair next to Kelly as we go to the therapy center. This isn’t awful. It’s actually much better than struggling to walk the distance from the parking spot to the entrance. It’s so fast compared to what I’ve become used to. Until…

I’m wheeling along and all of a sudden, I’m stuck. My chair won’t budge. The small front wheels of my chair have gotten wedged in a tiny little rut in the sidewalk. I can’t move at all. Every time I push on the rims, I’m just spinning in place.

Kelly hasn’t even noticed and is striding forward. “Hey!” I yell. “I got stuck.”

She comes back and sees my dilemma. I’m feeling more and more frustrated. Here I was thinking for a moment that this chair would give me more freedom, and then one minute later, I’m completely stuck. It wouldn’t have even occurred to me this could happen.

“You need to do a wheelie,” she tells me.

She demonstrates the motion I’m supposed to make with my wheels to lift the front wheels out of the rut. It’s not helpful. I can’t do it. I can’t fucking do it. I’m getting so frustrated, I want to throw myself out of the chair and crawl to the entrance. Finally, Kelly grabs the back of my chair so that the wheels are lifted out, and I’m free. But the whole episode leaves me feeling anxious about navigating this chair on my own.

In the gym, we spend over an hour practicing transfers. At first I was insistent we should use a walker for the transfers, but Kelly pointed out that wasn’t going to be practical outside of my home. While I’m transferred out of the chair, sitting on a mat, Kelly uses my wheelchair to show me how to do wheelies. I practice that too, until I feel confident enough that I probably won’t get stuck in a tiny rut again.

Kelly walks me to my car again and shows me how to disassemble the chair so that I can stash it in the seat next to me. We practice taking it apart and putting it back together. I feel exhausted by the end of it, and not at all confident that I can do any of this on my own.

“You’re going to be okay, Matt,” Kelly tells me. “We’ll practice again tomorrow.”

When I get back in my car for the final time at the end of my session, I see my crutches and I want to throw them out the window. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to use them again—I can’t risk a repeat of what happened today at work. I’ll use my wheelchair out of the house, and in the house, I’ll walk with my walker.

I’m going to continue to walk. I refuse to lose that ability. I know it sounds dumb, but I feel like it’s part of what makes me a person.

Over the next few days, I continue practicing with Kelly. It gets to the point where I feel a lot more comfortable doing transfers. She says it will continue to get easier with practice. Fortunately, my arms are already very strong from crutching myself around for the last year, so I’m not starting from zero.

I finally go back to work the week after Calvin had to lift my sorry ass out of my chair. And I’m in my wheelchair. I don’t have crutches or braces or any back-up. I’m in my wheelchair for the entire day.

I park in one of the handicapped spots in the office lot, and this time I’m appreciative of the extra space next to the parking spot. I have my wheelchair in the seat next to mine, with the wheels detached. I pull out the frame and pop the wheels back on, one by one. Then I pull my legs out of the car the way Kelly showed me, and lift the rest of my body out into the chair. She promised me this was something I’d get faster at, but right now, I’m slow. And nervous. I don’t want to fall on my ass in the freaking parking garage.

I wheel myself to the entrance to the building. There’s a handicapped button that I sometimes press, or if Kenny is around, he holds the doors for me. He’s there today, and he looks taken aback to see me in a wheelchair. Although he probably shouldn’t, considering how awful I’ve been walking lately.

“Hello there, Mr. Harper.” He squints at me. “How you doin’?”

“Fine.” I force a smile. “How are you?”

“Just fine,” he says.

Thank fucking God, he doesn’t pursue the whole thing further.

It’s easier to be in a wheelchair than it had been walking at the end. I was so nervous about every bump in the tiling, like it might send me flying. Now I roll across the floor without a second thought. I don’t hit any ruts in the floor, but even if I did, I feel confident I could get over them. The only thing that makes me nervous is doorways—I had no idea how narrow most of them are. I get worried about clipping my hand as I go through.

The first problem comes in the elevator. I had no idea that the buttons were so high, but when I try to reach for the button for my floor, it eludes me. I feel ridiculous, stretching to hit the button, my fingers about an inch short.

“What floor do you need?” a man asks me.

“Eleven. Thanks,” I mumble.

Christ, am I going to have to go through this shit every time?

When I get up to my own floor, that’s when things get real. Everyone is staring at me as I wheel by. Not that they didn’t stare at me when I was walking on crutches, but I was so focused on not falling, I stopped noticing. I try not to notice today, but it’s hard.

I usually try to pass by Anna’s cubicle on my way to my own, but this time, I take a different path. I don’t want her to see me this way. I know it’s dumb because it’s obviously inevitable, but I don’t know. I just don’t. Not yet.

But of course, she sees me when she comes to my cubicle for lunch. Her blue eyes widen when she notices that I’m in the wheelchair.

“Oh,” she says.

I shrug. “I got sick of dragging myself around on those crutches.” Like it was a choice I made. Like I wouldn’t be walking if it were remotely possible.

“Lunch?” Anna suggests, holding up her insulated lunch bag.

I nod and follow her to the break room. I’m shorter than she is now, in my wheelchair. Maybe if we had a date, I could use my braces and crutches. Or I don’t know, maybe my walker even.

Who am I kidding? Anna and I will never have a date.

We get to the break room, and I realize that my water bottle is up in the top cabinet. I’ll never be able to reach it without standing up. I clear my throat. “Um, Anna, do you think you could reach my water bottle for me?”

Anna looks at me, and then she bursts into tears. She sinks into a chair, sobbing.

Jesus Christ.

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