After four days alone in her room, Lucy was going crazy. She could
hear voices from below in the dining room. They laughed a lot and she
assumed Kevin knew them. They seemed friendly.
Marta knocked on the door and came in with her breakfast. Coffee cake, eggs, and apples. She wasn't hungry for food, but for simple conversation.
"How do you feel today."
"Much better. Thank you."
Marta studied her. There was no fooling her. "I'm tired of staying up here alone."
"I figured you were getting lonely."
Lucy tried to smile. "I'm fine."
"Well is there something I can bring you. Would you like something to read?"
"No thank you Marta." Lucy looked out the window. She could be painting incredible scenes with the trees changing colors. But the paints she had were lost in the accident. She needed to get strong so she can leave the room. She had to get strong.
She took her pain relievers only at night, they helped her sleep. Her dreams had also become more real than ever before. She could see the long, sweeping wings. They were also more terrifying.
Lucy turned to the window again. She had been laying still long enough. She ate her breakfast and then reached for her crutches. She pulled herself to her feet, ignoring the pain in her ribs.
She hobbled over to her dresser. She would have to wear shorts. Her pants wouldn't fit over her cast. She took them and a sweatshirt. She went to the door and went along the balcony to the top of the stairs. Her leg was in a cast to mid-thigh, which would not allow her to bend her knee. She balanced the crutches on the first step and swung her leg down. She released her breath. Only fourteen more to go.
Before she could get down another step, Kevin came running up the stairs. "Where in the world do you think you're going?" He grabbed her arm.
"I would like to go outside." He would not change her mind.
He suddenly reached around her waist and lifted her. He carried her down the stairs. Marta opened the door and Kevin carried her to the stable and set her down.
"Sit as long as you want to. I'll be back later."
She sat outside all morning, taking in the beauty of her surroundings. Kevin came over to her with a picnic basket for lunch. He sat down next to her. "Are you okay?"
No. My life is falling apart and I don't know what to do. She nodded. He took a sandwich out of the basket and gave it to her. He poured her a glass of juice and then took his own sandwich.
"How the foal's your dad brought doing?"
"They're doing great. They're learning quickly."
They sat in silence. Kevin couldn't stand it and finally had to break it. "So when is your birthday?"
"What? My birthday? December 24th."
"Wow, I bet Christmas is something else at your house."
She laid her sandwich down. "I can only remember one. I was eight, it was the year before my mom died. I had my own tree in my room. The house is all lit up and we had holly on the banister. That was our last Christmas."
"What happened?"
"My mom died. My dad didn't see the point in celebrating. He put on a happy face at church, but at home we didn't celebrate it. My birthday was always a big deal though."
"It must have been hard to lose your mom when you were so young."
Lucy sat in silence. After her mother died, her dad put her on a strict schedule. She was always busy. She didn't have time to miss you mother. The silence between them grew awkward. "How is Aldebaran?"
"She's fine. She'll heal in no time." He put his napkin in the basket. "Ready to go in?"
"Can I stay just a little longer?"
"Sure. I'll be back later." Kevin went inside the house but returned moments later. "Ms. Walker is on the phone. She wants to talk to you."
"All right." He scooped her up and carried her inside. He put her on the couch and then brought the phone to her.
"Hello?" She sat and listened in silence. "Oh I see. I didn't know it was only a seasonal job. Okay, thank you." The shop closed for the winter, but Ms. Walker would send her paintings to a friend in Boston. She now didn't have a source of income. And she was injured. What else could go wrong?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
That evening Lucy and Kevin sat in the living room. Kevin had built a fire and the room was warmly lit. "Kevin, is there a chance that I could pay the winter's rent when spring comes?"
He sat looking at the fire and then finally turned to her. "Lucy, I need to the know the truth. Why are you here?"
"Am I not allowed to have any privacy?"
"Why won't you talk to your father?"
"Because I don't have to and I don't want to."
"Well I can't make any decisions until you tell me the truth. I can't keep you here unless you level with me."
"If you want me to go I will."
"I didn't say I wanted you to leave. And besides you obviously can't afford to pay rent anywhere."
She was becoming angry. She didn't need Kevin. "Ms. Walker has a place that I'm sure she'll discount it."
"You can't afford it Lucy." She saw a glimpse of anger, the same she had seen the day of the accident. "Just tell me what I need to know."
"You don't need to know anything." Her voice cracked and she thought he might yell at her but he didn't.
"Marta is leaving for the winter and I don't accept guests past September. So you can find another place to stay." He stood and went outside.
Why did she do this? She should have just told him the truth. Why couldn't she just admit to him that she was in trouble and needed his help? She lowered her head into her hands.
She had enough money for the first month's rent at Ms. Walker's shack. After that surely there would be money from Boston. She called Ms. Walker and then asked Marta to bring her the crutches. She took them and slowly climbed the stairs. Going up was much easier than coming down. There was one good thing, there weren't any stairs at her new home.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Kevin stood alone in the stables. God I can't see my way, he turned his head up. He felt awful at the thought of Lucy leaving. Why was she there? He stood in the moonlight. He would try talking to her again. He couldn't stand the thought of her leaving.
He went back inside and found Lucy standing by the door with her bags. She sure had made up her mind. "You're leaving so soon?"
"Don't worry I'll be out of your way soon. Ms. Walker said she would give me a ride." They could hear tires coming up the driveway. "That's her. Would you kindly open the door please."
Kevin carried her things out to Ms. Walker's Tahoe. This was wrong. It had to be. He wanted to carry her back upstairs, but something inside of him stopped him.
Lucy climbed into the seat. "Thank you Kevin, for everything."
He stood outside until the tail lights were no longer visible.
Marta knocked on the door and came in with her breakfast. Coffee cake, eggs, and apples. She wasn't hungry for food, but for simple conversation.
"How do you feel today."
"Much better. Thank you."
Marta studied her. There was no fooling her. "I'm tired of staying up here alone."
"I figured you were getting lonely."
Lucy tried to smile. "I'm fine."
"Well is there something I can bring you. Would you like something to read?"
"No thank you Marta." Lucy looked out the window. She could be painting incredible scenes with the trees changing colors. But the paints she had were lost in the accident. She needed to get strong so she can leave the room. She had to get strong.
She took her pain relievers only at night, they helped her sleep. Her dreams had also become more real than ever before. She could see the long, sweeping wings. They were also more terrifying.
Lucy turned to the window again. She had been laying still long enough. She ate her breakfast and then reached for her crutches. She pulled herself to her feet, ignoring the pain in her ribs.
She hobbled over to her dresser. She would have to wear shorts. Her pants wouldn't fit over her cast. She took them and a sweatshirt. She went to the door and went along the balcony to the top of the stairs. Her leg was in a cast to mid-thigh, which would not allow her to bend her knee. She balanced the crutches on the first step and swung her leg down. She released her breath. Only fourteen more to go.
Before she could get down another step, Kevin came running up the stairs. "Where in the world do you think you're going?" He grabbed her arm.
"I would like to go outside." He would not change her mind.
He suddenly reached around her waist and lifted her. He carried her down the stairs. Marta opened the door and Kevin carried her to the stable and set her down.
"Sit as long as you want to. I'll be back later."
She sat outside all morning, taking in the beauty of her surroundings. Kevin came over to her with a picnic basket for lunch. He sat down next to her. "Are you okay?"
No. My life is falling apart and I don't know what to do. She nodded. He took a sandwich out of the basket and gave it to her. He poured her a glass of juice and then took his own sandwich.
"How the foal's your dad brought doing?"
"They're doing great. They're learning quickly."
They sat in silence. Kevin couldn't stand it and finally had to break it. "So when is your birthday?"
"What? My birthday? December 24th."
"Wow, I bet Christmas is something else at your house."
She laid her sandwich down. "I can only remember one. I was eight, it was the year before my mom died. I had my own tree in my room. The house is all lit up and we had holly on the banister. That was our last Christmas."
"What happened?"
"My mom died. My dad didn't see the point in celebrating. He put on a happy face at church, but at home we didn't celebrate it. My birthday was always a big deal though."
"It must have been hard to lose your mom when you were so young."
Lucy sat in silence. After her mother died, her dad put her on a strict schedule. She was always busy. She didn't have time to miss you mother. The silence between them grew awkward. "How is Aldebaran?"
"She's fine. She'll heal in no time." He put his napkin in the basket. "Ready to go in?"
"Can I stay just a little longer?"
"Sure. I'll be back later." Kevin went inside the house but returned moments later. "Ms. Walker is on the phone. She wants to talk to you."
"All right." He scooped her up and carried her inside. He put her on the couch and then brought the phone to her.
"Hello?" She sat and listened in silence. "Oh I see. I didn't know it was only a seasonal job. Okay, thank you." The shop closed for the winter, but Ms. Walker would send her paintings to a friend in Boston. She now didn't have a source of income. And she was injured. What else could go wrong?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
That evening Lucy and Kevin sat in the living room. Kevin had built a fire and the room was warmly lit. "Kevin, is there a chance that I could pay the winter's rent when spring comes?"
He sat looking at the fire and then finally turned to her. "Lucy, I need to the know the truth. Why are you here?"
"Am I not allowed to have any privacy?"
"Why won't you talk to your father?"
"Because I don't have to and I don't want to."
"Well I can't make any decisions until you tell me the truth. I can't keep you here unless you level with me."
"If you want me to go I will."
"I didn't say I wanted you to leave. And besides you obviously can't afford to pay rent anywhere."
She was becoming angry. She didn't need Kevin. "Ms. Walker has a place that I'm sure she'll discount it."
"You can't afford it Lucy." She saw a glimpse of anger, the same she had seen the day of the accident. "Just tell me what I need to know."
"You don't need to know anything." Her voice cracked and she thought he might yell at her but he didn't.
"Marta is leaving for the winter and I don't accept guests past September. So you can find another place to stay." He stood and went outside.
Why did she do this? She should have just told him the truth. Why couldn't she just admit to him that she was in trouble and needed his help? She lowered her head into her hands.
She had enough money for the first month's rent at Ms. Walker's shack. After that surely there would be money from Boston. She called Ms. Walker and then asked Marta to bring her the crutches. She took them and slowly climbed the stairs. Going up was much easier than coming down. There was one good thing, there weren't any stairs at her new home.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Kevin stood alone in the stables. God I can't see my way, he turned his head up. He felt awful at the thought of Lucy leaving. Why was she there? He stood in the moonlight. He would try talking to her again. He couldn't stand the thought of her leaving.
He went back inside and found Lucy standing by the door with her bags. She sure had made up her mind. "You're leaving so soon?"
"Don't worry I'll be out of your way soon. Ms. Walker said she would give me a ride." They could hear tires coming up the driveway. "That's her. Would you kindly open the door please."
Kevin carried her things out to Ms. Walker's Tahoe. This was wrong. It had to be. He wanted to carry her back upstairs, but something inside of him stopped him.
Lucy climbed into the seat. "Thank you Kevin, for everything."
He stood outside until the tail lights were no longer visible.