Challen and Addy

Chapter 16 (Challen): A Familiar Laugh

Copyright © 2024 by GroveltoHEA

My family kept calling, asking if they could send Addy cards, asking how she was, but one week in, and I still hadn't asked Addy if they could send cards yet. I was trying to give her space, time to get settled, but I wanted to do something for her.

So Google it was. I looked up her injuries to learn about the possible complications that could result from them and how to help in recovery. With that information in mind, I went to the store. 

On her second Wednesday in rehab, I headed into the Worthington Center and stopped at the reception desk.

"Hi," I said to the sweet-looking lady behind the desk.

"Well, hello. You look so much like one of my grandsons it isn't even funny," she said with twinkling eyes.

"How many grandsons do you have?" I asked.

"Seven!" she said. "Our family does boys."

"I'm one of five boys, so I hear that."

Smiling, I put the shiny red gift bag on the reception desk.

"What's this?" she asked. 

"This is a gift for my wife. Addy's in room twelve."

"Oh, she's so sweet! Well, just go on back --"

I needed to be honest with her.

"Addy doesn't want to me to visit, so I was wondering if someone could take this to her for me."

Her mouth opened a bit before it snapped shut. "I don't know that I've ever heard that one before, where the wife doesn't want to see the husband. Ex-husbands get banned for sure, but never the current husbands."

"It's deserved," I said. "I messed up with her in a huge way."

"And you are?" 

"I'm Challen."

"I'm Phyllis. I'd love to hear your story. I bet it's a doozy," she said, then lowered her voice. "Tea is like currency around here, you know."

"It's not a good story," I admitted. "Just the opposite, in fact. All you need to know is that Addy not wanting to see me is completely justified."

"We were wondering why she didn't have any visitors," Phyllis said, calling up something on her computer screen, "but she doesn't have anyone excluded on her visitor list."

"She probably didn't know it was an option," I told Phyllis honestly. 

"So, technically, you could go to her room."

"As much as I'd like to, I won't," I said, trying not to be harsh with the grandmother of many. "I'm staying not far from here, so I'll be stopping by occasionally to leave things for Addy. This is just the first one."

"OK, I'll make sure she gets it."

"Thank you. There's a note in there from me, but if you want to make sure she knows it's from me before you hand it to her, that might be helpful in case she doesn't want it."

Phyllis gave me a sharp look. "You don't have a restraining order that you're breaking right now, do you?

"No, it's not that kind of a bad story," I assured her, hands up. "You can ask Addy if that will put your mind at ease."

"I definitely will," she said, putting a sign up on her desk that said she'd be back in five minutes and then grabbing the gift bag. "Depending on what Addy says will determine if it was nice meeting you or not, Challen."