Lynx Book 4: A Callie Torres Story

9

"How much longer do I need to wear this for?" Jada asked as she followed Callie into the bathroom.

She was getting tired of wearing this freaking sling. Yeah, it had only been a week and a half since her surgery, but Jada was over it. She could hardly do anything and whatever she could do, she had to use her left arm. She couldn't hold her kids, she couldn't drive, she could barely play with her kids, and she felt like she was so dependent on Callie for every little thing.

Of course, Callie had been absolutely amazing. She was taking such good care of Jada and the girls. Jada just felt like she weighed Callie down, adding more responsibility to Callie's already crazy life. Callie had her job, which she had been gone for quite a while. She had the girls. Callie fed the girls, cleaned up after them, bathed them, clothed them, did everything for them and all Jada felt like she could do was watch. Callie took care of the house and everything related to the house, she did the laundry, cleaned everything, took care of the dogs and Goose, and was always there for Jada.

"Let's get it unwrapped and take a look," Callie replied as she pushed the bathroom door halfway closed. The girls were downstairs with Michelle watching a movie and Callie knew that Jada wanted her privacy in case Sofia came looking for them.

"I'm just waiting for that incision to heal fully. With this kind of surgery, I have to open up wide so that I could get that tendon in. Your stitches will be coming out soon, babe."

Callie pulled out the stool from under the counter and had Jada sit down. Reaching down beside the stool, Callie grabbed the piece of foam she brought home from work to help stabilize Jada's arm when she changed the wrap. Gently, she stuffed it under Jada's elbow.

"I'm going to take your sling off, okay?"

Jada nodded. Callie reached to Jada's right shoulder and found the buckle to detach the sling. Ensuring the foam was snug tightly under Jada's arm, she unclipped the sling. Once she pulled it over Jada's shoulders, Jada gasped.

"You okay?" Callie was quick to ask.

"Yeah, it just feels weird," Jada replied.

"Good weird or it hurts weird?"

"Good," she answered. "It feels so much better on my neck."

Callie knelt down beside the stool her wife was on. "I'll give you a shoulder massage when we're done."

"Can you pick up your arm for me?" Callie asked. "Only move your shoulder."

Jada did as told and Callie quickly removed the sling from under her elbow. "Straighten your arm out for me."

Very slowly and tediously, Callie began to unwrap Jada's elbow while being very careful not to move it. "How does it look?" Jada was immediately asking as soon as Callie fully unwrapped the bandage.

"Babe, I haven't even looked at it yet," Callie answered with a little giggle. After tossing the rest of the bandage in the trash, Callie took a good look at her wife's elbow. "Jaelynn, it looks really good."

"You're just saying that."

"Look," Callie insisted. "It looks really good. You want to come with me to work tomorrow so we can take those out?"

"You're serious? They can come out now?"

"I don't see why you still need them. It healed very well overnight. I'll take them out tomorrow for you."

Jada wrapped her good arm around Callie's neck and hugged her. "Thank you, Calliope."

"I didn't even do anything," Callie said quietly as she wrapped her arms around Jada.

"You're amazing, Calliope."

"Thank you, babe."

"I love you. I love you. I love you," Jada said as she continued to hug Callie with her left arm.

"I love you too," Callie said softly before she pressed a soft kiss to her wife's lips. "Let's get some medicine on it and get it wrapped up again."

Jada happily held her arm out for Callie to put some medicine onto her arm, wrap her elbow up, and put it back in the sling. "We're going to see how it looks tomorrow after I take your stitches out. You might be able to get out of the sling tomorrow as well."

"Really!?"

Callie nodded. "Yes, but when you have the sling off, just because it's off, doesn't mean that you don't have to take it easy and be careful."

"Well, that's what I have you for. To remind me to be careful," Jada said excitedly. "I'm just so happy I can actually do things again. I felt so bad because you have to take care of the girls, the house, feed us, and take care of me on top of that while I just sat around and watched."

"You did the same for me when I almost died," Callie pointed out.

"You didn't listen to me when I told you not to do stuff," Jada was quick to fire back.

"I could use both of my arms," Callie protested. "You helped me the entire time I was in the hospital, you got everything ready for me to come home, and you took care of me and Sofia while I recovered. I will always do the same for you."

"Thank you, Calliope."