Challen and Addy

Chapter 15 (Challen): I'll Be Fine

Copyright © 2024 by GroveltoHEA

I showed up at the hospital half an hour before the time Addy and I agreed on, just in case the schedule got moved up. However, as is so often the case, we didn't leave until two hours after the time we were told. The nurse, Kristi, told me Addy had said I could pop my head into her room to let her know I was there.

I knocked and then pushed the door open. "Hey, Addy. Just wanted to let you know I was here."

As I started to withdraw, she called out to me. "Did you find everything I wanted you to pack?"

"I did. Your list was easy to follow."

"One more thing. I got a deposit notification for the savings account."

"Yeah, I made a deposit last night."

"It was for almost eighteen thousand dollars."

"That's right."

She looked at me, then made an irritated face. "Where'd the money come from, Challen?"

I hadn't realized that when she'd gotten her new phone, she'd set up online banking. I thought she'd been too hurt and preoccupied with her healing to worry about it. Normally, I took care of the bills and finances, and Addy and I sat down once a month to go over our accounts.

"I sold some things."

"My car?" she asked, her voice rising.

"No, of course not," I said. "Addy, I wouldn't sell your car or mine without discussing it with you first."

"What'd you sell, then?"

"I said I'd find a way to come up with the money for my living arrangements that wouldn't affect our savings, so I did. I'll be out in the waiting room --"

"Stop. That still doesn't explain where the money came from. I may be in the hospital, but I still have a right to know what possessions of ours you sold."

"I wouldn't sell anything of ours without your permission."

"What did you sell?" The way she was biting out each word let me know that I'd pushed it too far with her.

"I sold my bikes."

That shocked her. "Are you kidding?"

I realized from her tone that she actually thought I had been kidding. "No."

"Why?"

"Fastest way I could think of to get the money I needed."

Once again I started to leave, but Addy stopped me.

"Why were you treating this like a national secret, Challen? Did you think I'd feel bad that you sold your bikes?"

"No, I didn't think that at all, Addy. I thought hearing that I'd sold the bikes would bring up a lot of bad memories, and I didn't want that casting a shadow on today when you're getting out of the hospital and going to rehab. I really didn't think it mattered what I sold as long as our savings weren't affected."

"I was honestly afraid you'd sold my jewelry."

 Stung, I shook my head. "I wouldn't do that. I'll be in the waiting room."

I walked out of her room and went to the window in the waiting room to look out at the parking lot. 

Every year since I'd started with my company, I received a huge bonus at the end of the year, and each year it got bigger. Since Addy and I had been married, we'd put half of the bonus directly into our savings, and the remaining half we'd split into thirds. One third went into our vacation fund, Addy got one third to do whatever she wanted with, and I got one third to do whatever I wanted with. Addy bought one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces from an exclusive artisan she liked, and for the last three years, I'd bought top-of-the line mountain bikes.