Better Off Alone (Adopted by Brendon and Sarah Urie)

84. Brendon

Callie slept so much after her surgery, and we were okay with it. She needed the rest and when she woke up and complained about a headache, we knew she was sleeping it off. And a lot of her sleep was with pain medications, so we weren't sure how restful her sleep really was.

She was talking to us, and that was the best sign. She was slow and sometimes fell asleep mid sentence, but she could still communicate.

After a few days like this, Callie started feeling better. The nurse told us that the pressure on her brain hadn't increased any further, and was and had stayed normal. The wire monitoring that was removed. Callie slept through it.

A couple of days after that, the doctors wanted to get her up and out of bed and walking a little. Sarah helped her change into pyjamas and then, with the help of a walker, because it had been a while since she'd been walking, and had just had brain surgery.  She was a little slow and shaky, but she was okay. The longer we walked, the better she got, but slower, because she was tired. Usually I'd pick her up and carry her back. And every day I pushed her just a little harder and farther. Pretty soon, she tired just as she got to her room and fought through to get to the bed.

Two weeks after her surgery we were able to bring Callie home. Once again, she'd worked with a tutor while in the hospital. We'd just started the school year and already Callie had missed about a month in total. But she was determined and worked hard.

We were told she could return to school as soon as she felt able and within the week, was begging to go back. Her friends missed her, and had visited in the hospital. And Callie said maybe now that Melanie was out of the school, she could have a few uninterrupted days at school.

We called the school and made arrangements to get Callie back to school. Because her head was still shaved in parts, the school would allow Callie to cover her head with a beanie or a cap. She just had to adhere to the dress code. Plain coloured beanies, meaning with no design, were fine and ball caps were okay as long as they didn't have vulgarity or forbidden images outlined in the student handbook.

"Are you ready?" I asked her as we pulled up to the school her first day back. She nodded and smiled.

"No Melanie, right?" She asked.

I smiled at her.

"No Melanie," I assured her.

She got out of the car and met her friends out front. I watched as my daughter, who just a couple of weeks ago needed assistance to walk, walked alone and confidently into her school, and I hoped we were finally going to be able to settle down and get back to normal.

I went back home, did some work and then, keeping an eye on the clock, went inside to eat lunch and then go pick Callie up. Sarah was working today so it was just me picking her up. And we had told her that.

I pulled up to the school about five minutes before the bell rang and waited for the students to be dismissed. When they were, I waited outside the car for Callie.

My smile widened as I saw her come out of the school, signing with her friends, clearly happy and engaged. She looked over, saw me at the car, smiled and then said good bye to her friends and came over to the car.

"How was your day?" I asked her.

"Amazing!" She signed enthusiastically. "Did you know that when there isn't someone constantly trying to beat you up or whatever, that there are actual classes here?"

Cheeky kid.

"No? Really?" I joked back. "I just thought you all sat around signing at each other."

She rolled her eyes. I'm apparently not that funny.

Callie got into the car and we drove home. She was signing and I had to remind her to slow down since I was also driving and needed to concentrate.

She slowed down and then just said "I'll wait until we get home, because it's a good story."

I nodded and we just talked about whether we should stop for Starbucks on the way home.

Having decided that yes, we want coffee, we stopped, I got something for Sarah, too. She'd texted to say she was home.

We pulled up to the house and Callie bounced out of the car as if she hadn't just spent two weeks in the hospital with a head injury. Sarah had heard us pull up, and came to the front door. Seeing Callie smiling, Sarah smiled at her and gave her a hug when Callie got to the door.

Callie and Sarah walked into the house, Callie signing away at Sarah, while I carried mine and Sarah's coffees in the takeout tray.

"Thanks for the help, kid," I smiled at Callie, who was pulling books out of her bag. Sarah pulled Callie's beanie off and checked her scar. She smiled at Callie and kissed her head. Callie smiled up at her.

We watched as Callie did her homework, chatting with us about her day at school. It was nice. It was normal, and I'd waited a long time for this. And I shouldn't have had to wait two months into the school year for it. But as I looked at my daughter smiling and telling us about her day, joking and laughing, I wouldn't change our lives for the world.

"Dad?" Callie got my attention. "Are you okay?"

I picked Callie up out of her chair at the breakfast bar and held her tight to me. She was so small and light.

"I am great," I signed to her. I kissed her head and hugged her again. Sarah smiled at me as I placed Callie back down on the floor.

She smiled up at me as she hugged me.

"Love you, Dad," she signed.

"Love you more," I signed back at her, a huge smile on my face.