When did I become so numb?

The cottage

Ana parked the van in the driveway, and stepped out of the car. The van had a built-in wheelchair ramp. The moment said ramp was on the ground, Christian instantly backed up his wheelchair and rolled out of the van.

As his eyes landed on the house and its surroundings, he took a deep breath. He looked around and smiled internally. Christian's eyes darted to the treetops and then towards the garden with roses, and while looking at the little stream near the cottage, his lips curled into a small smile.

He will never admit it to anyone, especially not to Ana, but he was very content to be back here. Elliot and he used to go into the woods and play hide and seek. Also, they used to run after the rabbits, making Mia cry because she wanted the boys to leave the poor animals alone.

While grabbing the suitcases, Ana's eyes landed on Christian's face. She could tell by the expression on his face that he was glad to be here. However, Ana didn't want to spoil it for him by making a comment about it. She noticed him rolling his wheelchair into the direction of the back of the cottage, while a hint of a smile played at his lips.

"Will you be back soon? The food is still warm, you know." She said.

Christian heard her and yet decided to ignore her, while vanishing from her line of sight.

As a sigh escaped her lips, Ana walked towards the front door. She unlocked it and stepped inside the house.

Wow.

This wasn't exactly what she had imagined. The living room was big; it had a comfortable couch in it, a coffee table, a few chairs and a fireplace. There also was a small TV set and an old antique wooden desk.

The kitchen was smaller; there was a large fridge, a stove and a round kitchen table with two chairs.

Ana grabbed Christian's suitcase and bag, while walking towards the bedrooms. The first one was bigger than the second, so she choose to put his stuff in the former. As she opened the bathroom door, Ana noticed that there was a shower and also a bath tub.

The faucet of the shower was placed high on the wall, making Ana bite the insides of her cheek. So that means she had to help him with it, if he decided to use the shower instead of the bath tub.

"Well, that's gonna be fun." Ana mumbled, because she anticipated resistance from him. He's going to need help with the smallest things here, because they didn't consider a person with a disability, when they built this cottage.

The bedroom was spacious with a large bed in it. As she placed Christian's clothes in the closet, the wheels in Ana's head started to turn. Ana wanted to focus on only one thing, while being here. That's Christian's rehabilitation. That's what she should be doing and that's what she intended to do.

However, Ana couldn't help wanting other things too. She knew that she didn't have the right to want it. Ana lost that right six years ago...

'No, I shouldn't be that selfish!' Ana then decided.

This was about him, not about her.

After putting her own clothes and essentials in the second bedroom, Ana walked towards the living room. As she reached the kitchen, she noticed that Christian rolled himself into the house.

"You need help?" she asked, while placing the food on two plates.

Christian didn't reply and sat at the kitchen table. Still being quiet.

Luckily Ana is and always has been a patient woman. She walked over to him and said.

"Let me help you wash your hands."