Finally Home

3. Tyler

Sam rested on the couch for the rest of the evening. Rosie sat on her and lay on her and just basically spent all her time before her bedtime with Sam. And Sam was never bothered.  In fact, Sam never complained when Rosie walked in on her and her friends.  Sam would open her arms for Rosie to run into and Rosie would run to her sister and sit in her lap, or Sam would hold her. She always let Rosie in whenever and wherever. And if Sam was doing something that Rosie was too young for, either she'd insist they change activities or explain to Rosie that she was too little right now and they'd do something she could join in after.

And Rosie never got upset when Sam said that.  She'd look at her sister and say 'okay SaSa,' and go find something to do until Sam came to get her to join her.

At Sam's Sweet 16 in June, Sam treated Rosie like she was the guest of Honor. She made sure Rosie got a lot of attention, too. Sam doesn't love being the centre of attention at the best of times, so she was happy to include Rosie in her celebration.

"Okay RoRo," I said. "Bedtime."

"SaSa bedtime," Rosie giggled.

"Samantha is older. Samantha can stay up later. RoRo needs to go to bed now," I said.

"WoWo SaSa nurse," Rosie pouted.

"Then my nurse needs to go to bed," Samantha said. "So that my nurse can help me tomorrow if my ankle still hurts."

"Okay SaSa!" Rosie said, climbing down off Samantha.

"How do you do that?" I asked. "How come she listens to you?"

Samantha shrugged.

"Magic," she smiled, waving her hands like a magician.

"Brat," I said. Sam grinned at me.

Jenna came into the living room with a snack for Samantha, and gently lifted her ankle and sat down, placing her ankle on her own lap.

"How're you feeling?" She asked Sam.

Sam shrugged.

"It doesn't hurt so much. I think I just rolled it funny," she said. Jenna picked up the ice pack and towel and looked at Sam's ankle. She moved it a bit and pressed on it.

"How does that feel?"

"A little sore, but I think I can probably walk on it."

"Okay. Maybe you should miss tomorrow's game?" Jenna suggested. I winced. Bad move Jenna.

"No way!  We're playing Hillhurst!" Hillhurst was Middleton's rival team.

"Sam, I'll come to school early and help you tape up your ankle if it's still sore in the morning, okay?" I suggested.

"Okay.  Thanks, Dad, Samantha said, giving Jenna a satisfied look.

Jenna looked between the two of us and shook her head.

"Basketball freaks," she smiled.

Samantha frowned.

"I am not a freak," she said, a twinkle in her eye.

"Yes you are," I said. "Remember what Josh said? Let your freak flag fly!"

Samantha laughed.

"Alright you," I said. "Let's get you up to bed. You have school and a game tomorrow."

"Fine," Samantha said. She got up and gingerly put her right foot down and then put all her weight on her left foot to stand. I helped her stay stable. She then put more weight on her foot and tested her ankle's stability.

"How's it feel?" I asked, holding my arm out for her in case she needed it.

"Okay. A bit sore, but I can walk," she said, taking a few steps. She was favouring the ankle but seemed stable enough.

"Goodnight," she said, heading upstairs.

"G'night, pumpkin," I said. She smiled and went into her room.

"I really think she should take it easy on that ankle," Jenna said.

"She'll be fine. She's walking on it already. She just twisted it."

"You push her too hard. She wants to make you proud and she wants to play basketball as hard as you," Jenna said.

"She does. She's better than I was at her age."

"Tyler, she's afraid to disappoint you. She trains constantly," Jenna said. "I'm worried she's doing damage to herself."

"What do you mean?  She's never been healthier. Even her doctor said so."

"Would Doc say the same thing?" Jenna asked.

"Why wouldn't be?  She loves basketball," I said.

"She loves basketball because you love basketball. When she started at Appleton, she said she liked soccer and baseball."

"And she played soccer. And she didn't like it," I reasoned. "Basketball helped her heal after the accident in the river."

Jenna sighed.

"All I can say is I hope she isn't pushing herself so hard she damages that ankle worse."

I looked at Jenna. She didn't understand sports enthusiasm. Samantha was fine. I'd tape her ankle before her game tomorrow and she'd play.

We watched a little TV before both turning in for the night.