A Time For Love (A Time For Love Series-Book 1)

Walking Progress

LENA POV  

"Stef, I just want you to know that you are and have been doing really well the last week. You are growing more confident on the walking machine and even getting around. But, today I want to try to have you walk in the kitchen. The bars I put in will really help with you getting around in here, and I want to show you how to use them. Does that sound okay to you?" I ask her as the two of us have just finished folding a bit of laundry. 

I wanted to work on this with Stef before Duke dropped by, and while Miss Kelly was here with Bird helping her with school work. Stef was still very self-conscious about anyone seeing her trying to walk except for me and Bird. Even then, I think she was still embarrassed to a point, and she still felt like an infant.

"Yeah..um sure, Le..Lena. I..I can try." Kneeling down, I gently grab her hand, and I can't help but cup her cheek as she looks right into my eyes again. Stef, I knew most likely was a confident woman prior to what happened to her. I could see it in her face, I could see it at times when she spoke to her brother and Bird and when she had told people off. Most likely, she had told people off in a different way, but now I knew her injury caused a great deal of frustration leading her to not have much patience. I didn't think it was TBI causing it because she could control how she spoke to people. And it was evident now more than ever. 

"Listen, it's just you and me, okay?  Your little girl is busy with Miss Kelly, and even if she wasn't, you know she's proud of you.  We all are. So you take your time. This is just one more step to get you up and walking around here. Okay, honey?"

"Yes...yes." She whispers back as I squeeze her hand and now stand parking her wheelchair in front of the bars that I attached to the kitchen cabinet.

"Okay, Stef, now I want you to put your hands on the bars. A good grip, and I am going to help you stand up. Okay?"

"Sure... sure..yes." She says as I watch her grip the bars very hard, and I slowly, but carefully help her stand slowly. It takes her a bit, but after a few minutes, she is fully standing. Stef has definitely gotten better with standing over the course of the last few weeks, which I feel boosted her confidence as well.

"There you go. You're standing, you got it, honey.  Do you feel okay?"

"Yes..yes." She says, looking right at me as I softly smile and hold on tightly to her slim waist as she wears her pretty blonde hair back in a braid that Bird had done earlier.

"Now. I am going to turn you. You can use your right hand to hold the bar, and I will hold your left hand. You are going to lift one foot up very, very slowly. Just like we did with the walking machine, and we are going to make our way down to the end of the counter. Okay?"

"My..my knees give out...like..like yesterday Le..Lena."

"I know, but it is okay, Stef. I won't let anything happen to you, and I have you in case you feel you are falling. Your knees are going to keep giving out for a bit sometimes, but that is okay. Just like yesterday, I have you. Trust me, honey, okay?" Looking right into my eyes, I can see the hesitation on her face as I am inches from her. "Sooner or later, you will have this down. Just like you do a few other things. You watch and see."

"Maybe... maybe in ten...ten years."

"No, ten weeks or less." She looks back at me as if she doesn't believe me, and I know she doesn't, but I knew Stef could do this even if her body was telling her different. "Stef, it's going to take time, but we will do it. Just like I tell you every day and just like I told you back at the hospital."

"I um..I....I.. um, I'm not sure..Le.....Lena. I...I don't know."

"Try this. I want you to close your eyes and imagine a place you want to walk to. Or who you want to walk with. It can be anywhere, Stef. Remember, we did something similar like this when you first started that machine back at the hospital. Remember?"

"Ye...yes." She stutters a bit as I feel how tense and stiff her body is, something that I wish I could help ease a bit more.

"Okay, so let's return back to that exercise. Now you can pick something new or you can use what you did before. There is no right or wrong, Stef."

"Um...I...I want to walk with Bird. I...I still want to use that."

"Okay, and where, love?"

"Um...at...in here...at the basketball court? I want...I want to show her how to do some things on..on the court. That....that I remember."

"That's wonderful, and how are you feeling when you do this? How are you feeling when you're with your little girl on the basketball court?"

"I...I feel happy. Happy...I can walk and... and we can play together. I...I can dunk..and...and I can..I can run. I...I can run...Le..Lena."

"Of course you can. Now, I want you to keep your eyes closed. And you are on the basketball court with your daughter right this second. She has a ball and so do you. You are both running down the court as you show her how to dunk. You show her how to block someone from grabbing the ball, and you show her how to pass." I say as she very, very slowly slides one of feet forward and then the other.

"Good, Stef. Now, gently lift one leg up. Not high, just like we do on the machine. I have you. I have you very, very tight. And I want you to keep thinking of being on that court with Bird." I encourage as she slowly and very, very carefully lifts one of her legs up and puts it down. She is a little shaky, and her legs only give out a tad, but I am holding her tighter than ever. "I got you. Let's try the other foot. You can do it." I say as she opens her eyes now and looks right at me. "I got you."

Nodding her head, I hold her even tighter as she lifts her other leg a little and makes one step.

"GOOD!!! You got it, Stef! You took a step!" She deeply blushes now and she is rather cute and bashful as she does a few more steps, and even if her knees give out from time to time, she has done it, and I am very proud of her. Extremely, and I know Mike will be, too. 

"Look at you! You will be running before you know it, Stef. We just have to keep doing this along with the walking machines, bike, and treadmill. You will start to become even stronger when you walk."

"You.. you think?"

"I don't think, I know." I say as she nods her head again, and I can tell she's feeling rather tired.

"You want to take a break? It's okay to and we can come back to this later." I ask as we both look up, seeing Bird walking in with Miss Kelly just as happy as can be as she wears her Celtics tee shirt with jeans and sneakers. Her long curly hair is back in a braid as well, just like Stef's.

"Mama! I wanted to show you I did my times tables really good! I did! I kept getting them wrong, but I finally got it! Look! I finally got all the fours!" She walks over slowly with her walker, showing Stef the page as she takes it smiling.

"That's...that's good baby. Very...very good. You... you did get them right and even got a star. That...that is good, my..my girl."

"She is doing so well. And the flash cards are helping her a great deal." Miss Kelly says to the both of us as Bird wraps her arms around Stef's waist.

"You're walking, Mama?"Bird whispers as I turn to watch them both as Stef kisses her forehead.

"Miss Kelly, we are so glad to hear that. And whatever we can do to help, we will. Just let us know." I say to her.

"Of course. But she is doing wonderful, and we have a little more to cover today. Ready to conquer a few word problems before we end our session today, Bird?"

"Sure! Keep walking, Mama! You got it!" Bird smiles as the two walk back into the living room as I turn to look at Stef seeing the smile on her face. She is beaming from Bird's progress as she turns to look right into my eyes, a fire inside of them now.

"I...I don't need a break..Le..Lena. I..I want to..I want to keep going."

"Of course." I say as we practice for the next hour until Duke shows up to drop off some of the strength training bands. But that one visit would change the course of his new relationship with Stef in the most wonderful way, and in a way, I never expected to happen.