Family Matters Read Online Free PDF Page B

Cody. She didn’t have the time or desire to examine the relief she felt. She just let it spill.
    â€œWe’re over here learning about therapy,” she said. Michael’s breath caught a little when he saw how, for the first time, the smile she’d given him went clear to her eyes. “Cody’s been doing fine. But he’s exhausted now. I’m worried about him.”
    â€œDon’t get discouraged, Jen.”
    He read her perfectly. She was surprised he could. But maybe she shouldn’t be after the hours they had spent together in the waiting room holding each other up. “I am. Silly, right?”
    â€œNo,” he said. “Not silly. Just human.” He’d counsel any of his patients this way. But because he was telling Jen it meant more.
    â€œDad.” Cody addressed him from the bed. “This is Andy. My new friend. My—” he glanced up at the stranger, trying to remember the right word. This time he did “—physical therapist.”
    Now Michael saw the cheerful-looking woman waiting quietly on the far side of Cody’s bed. “Nice to meet you.”
    â€œLikewise.” Then, without more preamble, “I’ll work with you, too, of course. You’ll need to know these exercises since you have joint custody of your son.” She made a note on Cody’s chart and then she was out the door. “See you tomorrow, Cody.”
    Cody didn’t answer. He was already asleep.
    Michael looked at her pointedly. “I see you explained our situation to her.” Then, “She worked him hard,” Michael said. “What did she tell you?”
    â€œEnough to scare me,” she whispered.
    â€œI was afraid of that,” he said.
    â€œYeah,” she said. “Me, too.”
    She gave him a sad little smile. “I wish you didn’t know me so well.”
    For one long, poignant moment, neither of them spoke. Neither of them moved. Neither of them even breathed. They just waited—for what, neither of them knew—matching gaze to gaze. Finally Michael picked up Cody’s chart and read it to break the tension. “It would have been harder to go through this alone.”
    â€œNo,” she said. “Nothing can make this harder than it already is.”
    â€œMaybe you’re right,” he commented.
    She sounded so certain when she agreed. “I am.”

Chapter Four
    T he therapy swim session had almost ended. Megan, the youngest girl in the group, shivered in her bright red bathing suit as rivulets of water ran down her legs and her crossed arms. Her teeth chattered.
    Mark Kendall handed her a towel. “Here you go, kid.” He helped her drape it over her head and around her little body. “What’s with the goose bumps?”
    â€œThe water’s c-c-cold….” She pulled the towel so tightly around her that he could see her small, bony shoulder blades jutting through the terry cloth.
    â€œWe’ll take care of that.” He grabbed another towel and started to dab at droplets of water glistening on her arms. “You did great today, Megs.”
    â€œYou think so?”
    â€œI think so.”
    Megan grinned.
    â€œTomorrow we’ll get you to swim a little farther.”
    She wrinkled her nose at him. “I got tired today.”
    â€œYou can do it, though. I know you can. When you do, you’ll be really proud of yourself. Just wait and see.”
    â€œYou think so?” she asked.
    â€œI think so.”
    â€œI’ll swim farther tomorrow—” Megan bargained “—if you’ll let me get a Pepsi out of the machine today.”
    He laughed at her. “You sound like Wimpy. ‘I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.’”
    She looked blank. “Who’s Wimpy?”
    â€œYou know. Wimpy. On Popeye .”
    Megan still looked lost.
    â€œOh, great.” He slapped his forehead with the heel of his hand.