Pieces of My Heart

Chapter 24

(AH! IT'S OVER! Okay, it's been over. I think I finished writing this story in 2015? *hugs story to me like it's a person* I know it's not the best, but it does have a special place in my heart (even if I haven't reread it in years...) Thank you for all the kindness, comments, follows, etc. <3 I'm in the process of making the Pieces of My Heart pinterest board public. I have ideas of what might come up next... No promises. :D And THANK YOU <3 to my lovely friend, sincerelyrachelr,  who made the cover for it. Doesn't it look so much better? <3 )

Margie makes Dad and I some eggs and toast for breakfast, but I'm not really hungry.

"Sam will be here to pick you up soon," Dad observes when he glances up from his morning paper.

I nod. "He said he told you what we are doing today."

Dad puts his mug of coffee down and nods. "He did." He turns back to the paper, apparently taking his vow of secrecy very seriously.

Margie comes back to the table with some more medicine for me. "Whatever you guys are doing today, don't get too tired. If Sam starts to wear you out you tell him to take you home. You don't need that."

"I will." I smile when I take the pills from her. The doorbell rings just after I swallow the last of my medicine.

"Come on in," Margie calls as she took the dirty dishes back to the sink.

Sam waltzes into the dining nook and smiles at me. "Hi, Rindy, ready for your big day?"

"Sure—" I barely reply before Margie is telling Sam everything she just told me.

"She is recovering from a traumatic accident, Sam. If she gets tired, you promise to bring her home?" She dry's her hands on a hand towel as she lectures him.

"Margie, Florinda will be fine," Dad spoke up from his newspaper. He gave Sam a pointed look. "Won't she." It's a statement, not a question.

To spare Sam any more of an interrogation, I speak up, "Yes, I'll be fine... and I'm eager to get started. Sam? Ready?" Do I imagine the grateful look that follows his smile?

He gets behind my wheelchair and starts pushing me to the door. "We'll be back later!"

"Bye!" I call, making sure my voice is extra perky so Margie would have no reason to be concerned.

With much difficulty because of half of my body in a cast and the wheelchair, Sam and I get down the porch stairs and into his car. "Are you even going to give me a hint where we are going?"

He chuckles. "Nope." He turns on the radio, low enough so that we can still speak but loud enough so it fills the comfortable silence. It's the same music Sam always listened too for as long as I had known him, but for some reason it doesn't bother me the way it used to.

Twenty minutes later Sam pulls into a busy parking lot. "Just stay in your seat, I'll get your wheelchair for you." He disappears out of the car before I can make a snarky reply, but I save it for when he opens my car door.

"You're holding me back from my full potential, Sam," I scold teasingly. "Telling a girl in a leg cast to sit still..." I shake my head and smile.

He smiles also. "Just get in your wheelchair, milady." He gesture to my wheelchair and bows his head.

It's another beautiful summer day. The breeze is blowing gently through my hair as Sam pushes me across the parking lot.

"Okay, Rindy. We're here." He stands next to me and smiles. I look up to see a banner over an empty road. The banner reads, Suicide Awareness Marathon.

Why did he think this would be a good idea? My throat starts to ache as I try not to cry. "I can't be here, Sam. Not if I can't..." I whisper and look at him. "Please, let's go home."

He bends over and whispers in my ear. "But you are going to be in it, Florinda... I'm going to push you the whole way."

The tears fall now and I don't try to hold them back. "You're going to do that for me?" I whisper it so quietly I'm not sure it's audible. I sign and mouth 'thank you'.

Sam stands up and gets behind me again. "So, are you ready?"

"Yes." I am ready.

Thanks to the lessons I learned.

Thanks to Sam.

But mostly and most importantly, thanks to God.