Chapter 23—
A/N: Thanks for everyone's support.
The day finally came and Stephanie was not looking forward to it. Her parents were about to arrive at her apartment. Her dad had called from his cell phone when they had left the airport. Stephanie had offered to pick them up from the airport, but her Dad had insisted that he did not trust Stephanie to drive.
Since Stephanie's injury, she has learned how to manage life from a wheelchair. She learned how to drive a car (of course the car it retrofitted for her.), how to care for herself, and how to cope with her day to day challenges. However, she feels like her parents see her as an invalid. Stephanie has come to grips with the fact that there will be things that she will never do, but that does not mean that her life is over. This had been a conversation that Stephanie's parents have had with her; as they just do not see what the capabilities of their daughter actually are. This is the argument that had to almost a year of not speaking to each other.
Stephanie still had her dreams of becoming a doctor, but her parents wanted to protect her from the world. This was an admirable sentiment, but Stephanie was going to live her life her way! She made the decision a long time ago. She often compared her parents to Jeremy's. Stephanie saw Frank and Denise as supportive parents; they allowed Jeremy to make his own choices, but they were still there to help him make the right choices. Stephanie felt very alone in the choice making department. All of a sudden there was a knock on the door, and Stephanie hit the button that automatically opened the door. Her mom and dad walked through the door, and Stephanie was sitting there waiting for them.
"Why, hi darlin'" Bill Sanders, Stephanie's father, said. He came up to her and gave her a big hug.
"Hi Daddy… welcome to South Carolina. How was your trip?" Stephanie asked with a fake smile. She watched her mother, Beth Sanders, walk through the door. Stephanie just knew that she was critiquing her apartment.
Stephanie's apartment was simple, but with a lot of space. She had two bedrooms, one that was a bedroom and one that was an office/bedroom. The apartment was tastefully decorated; nothing fancy, yet clean and well organized; just the way that Stephanie needed it to be.
"Well, the plane ride was very bumpy; I just do not know why we could not have driven." Beth said, with a scowl.
"Because it was cheaper for you 2 to fly." Stephanie had done the math and discovered with gas prices almost 3 dollars a gallon it was cheaper for her parents to fly than it was to drive.
"I guess, what lovely place you have here, but there are no pictures on the wall… why do you not have any pictures?" Beth said trying to make small talk, but it was not working it was already grading on Stephanie's nerves.
Bill and Beth walked around the apartment. Stephanie had offered them the guest room to put their things way and freshen up. The last time that Stephanie's parents were here to visit, Stephanie lived in a different apartment with a lot less space, and more difficult to move around. This apartment had been retrofitted by the previous tenant with all the necessities for someone who was in a wheelchair. The cabinets in the kitchen were low enough where Stephanie could easily reach things. The counter tops were lower as well. The bathroom even had the necessary accessibility bars to make it easier in the shower, and the toilet. There were many other features of the apartment that made life easier for Stephanie.
Beth and Bill walked out of the guest bedroom and in to the kitchen where Stephanie had fresh iced tea waiting for them. She finished pouring them each a glass, as it was customary in the south to serve iced tea. Stephanie thought she would try to make this a pleasant experience,
"So welcome… what do you think of my new place?" Stephanie knew this question would set off a chain reaction of questions and comments that she would not want to hear, but she was committed to making the effort.
"Is nice… but did you really need all that equipment in the bathroom? I mean have you not regained any movement, yet?" Beth said in her southern accent. Here we go Stephanie thought.
"Mom, that equipment makes things just a bit easier. And as I have explained before there was significant enough injury to my spine, that I will not regain the use of my legs." Stephanie was biting her tongue so hard, there were teeth marks.
"Well… I just thought…." Beth said when Bill cut her off.
"Ladies, before this becomes a session of a gun shooting blanks… let's talk like adults." Bill said, and if Stephanie could stand she would have fallen down in shock.
"Stephanie, you are probably wondering why we are here?!" Bill continued.
"Yeah, actually I am… wondering… I thought that you needed your yearly dosage of insulting me, or it that just Mom's job?" Stephanie finally allowed herself a snide comment.
"STEPHANIE…. I DID NOT RAISE MY DAUGHTER TO TALK TO ME LIKE THAT!" Beth scolded.
"Mom, since you walked in the door you had a negative comment about just about every thing…" Stephanie stopped before she said something that she would truly regret.
"Both of you… enough! Stephanie, we are here to see you. We have come to the realization that you are a very capable adult, and we really want you to be apart of your life. And we have been very wrong in trying to tell you what to do with your life. We cannot begin to image what your life has been like since your injury. However, I can honestly say that I am proud of everything that you have accomplished. I wish you would come home with us, but I can see that you are happy here, and I have to respect that." This was not the conversation that Stephanie had been prepared for.
"I certainly was not expecting that… thank you." Stephanie said taking a sip of iced tea to try to calm her nerves.
Stephanie watched as her mother was walking around the family room. Her mother stopped at the end table where there were two pictures in frames. One picture was of her and Jeremy. The other picture was of Frank, Denise and Jeremy. Both of the pictures were taken on the day that Jeremy came home. These pictures meant a lot to Stephanie, because in a very short time all three of them had become close. She treasured Denise's and Frank's wisdom, and she treasured Jeremy's friendship.
"Stephanie, who pray tell are these people? Is this boy your boyfriend? Do you not think that he is a little young for you?" Beth asked. The look on Bill's face was one of disbelief and horror. He just did not understand why his wife was acting like this.
Beth and Bill had been married for almost thirty years. They had raised three children, two girls and one boy. Stephanie was the youngest; and only five years separated Stephanie and her brother Alan. The oldest of the children was Sarah. Sarah was ten years older than Stephanie. Stephanie was always compared to Sarah, by her mother. Bill was the workaholic parent, who was rarely home.
"Mom, Jeremy is not my boyfriend; he is a wounded soldier that I have been working with at the center. Those other people are his parents. They have become friends of mine. In fact, we are going to their home for dinner. Denise invited us for dinner when she found out that you both were coming. I would greatly appreciate if you would be able to be nice this evening. Frank and Denise are very nice people. Denise is a nurse, and Frank is a Major in the Army." Stephanie was trying very hard to keep a civilized tone.
"How was Jeremy injured?" Bill stepped in, trying to not to have this blow up into a full out war.
"Jeremy was injured in an insurgence attack in Baghdad. He took a bullet to the knee, and he took an explosion to the face, actually he took the explosion to the eyes… he is blind. Before the explosion he pulled two soldiers out of the hum-ve, and he saved their lives." Stephanie explained.
"Stephanie, how is it that you always seem to bring home the stray cats and hope to nurse them back to health?" Beth just could not stop herself. It bothered Beth that Stephanie cared so much for others, but could not take care of her herself, or so Beth perceived.
"BETH… that is enough! Ever since we have walked in you have been doing nothing but insulting Stephanie. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! You and I have talked about this… we agreed that we both want to be apart of Stephanie's life… but you are never going to get there if you do not try." Bill scolded. Stephanie was still very surprised at her father's support.
"Look… I just hate to see Stephanie waste her life on someone who cannot give her a better life than she had." Beth was still shooting, and Stephanie was getting tired of playing nice.
"Mom, Jeremy is not my boyfriend. I am having a good life… I am enjoying what I am doing… I am getting ready to take my MCAT. I have a job right now, that I like… will I always work for "New Vision"… no, but I like what I am doing. I would appreciate the snide comments stopping, now. Because I do not want to subject the Sherwoods to this tonight… PLEASE?!" Stephanie was almost begging her mother to play nice.
"Stephanie, I just do not understand how you expect to go to medical school in your condition. From what I heard it is very physically demanding, and I just do no thing you can handle it." Beth said.
"Mom, look that is what you said about me joining the Army. I handled that fairly well. My injury affected my spine not my brain. I have accomplished a lot more than own sister has… she never even finished college before she got pregnant." Stephanie said pointedly.
"But the difference is that she has a family. I do not see you having a family… and can you even have children?" Beth asked.
"Is this what this all about me having children and having a family? Or rather you, having a grandchild from me?" Stephanie asked.
"I do not think that is what your mother means…" Bill chimed in.
"Actually, what I mean is… what is your plan 'B' if medical school does not pan out?" Beth asked, waiting to hear the come back.
"If I never get married and have a family… I am ok with that. You know full well that all of my life I have wanted to become a doctor. Look, I am starting to see that you are never going to understand… I know you think that I need someone to take care of me, but you know I take care of myself everyday. Do I wish I was not in this chair? Yes, but I am, and it took me a very long time to come to grips with that fact. If you cannot accept that… I am sorry." Stephanie said almost in tears, but she would not give her mother the satisfaction.
"You know what… I think we all need a break." Bill said.
"Dad, what need is to come to an understanding… I am a very capable person with limitations, but I will do everything I set my mind to. I would further appreciate it, if tonight at dinner with the Sherwoods that we do not discuss this. Denise, Frank, and Jeremy are a great family; they are very supportive of each other. And I do not want them subjected to this… if Mom wants to be part of my life… then she is going to have to let me live it." Stephanie said.
"We only want what is best for you… we were never given an instruction manual on how to be parents, which believe me would have been nice, and frankly you would have needed your own. We also never got an instruction manual on how to handle your limitations." Bill said coming up to her with smile.
"Ok, can we table this discussion until after dinner, please? As I told Denise we would be there about 1800. And I think we need to get ready, and freshen up a bit." Stephanie said as her cell phone rang. Bill and Beth went into the bedroom, and changed clothes, while Stephanie answered her phone.
"So how was the arrival of the parents?" Jeremy asked.
"Enlightening." Stephanie said sarcastically.
"Really?" Jeremy asked not getting the sarcasm.
"No…" Stephanie answered.
"Look I just called to see how you were doing… and Mom wanted me to tell you that if you need more time, just let me know." Jeremy said.
"No, we will be there at 1800." Stephanie replied.
"Ok, we will see you then… remember… it could be worse." Jeremy was trying to help, but it was not working.
"I know. I will talk to you soon." Stephanie said clicking off the phone.
Stephanie through her Dad the keys to her car, hoping that he would drive to the Sherwood home. Actually, she liked putting her mother in the back seat. They drove to the house, and they talked about the weather, and people from her home town; at least the conversation had simmered. Stephanie said a quick prayer that dinner would go off without a hitch.