The Broken Benefactor

~3~ (3rd HARD EDIT 01/09/2020)

(ETHAN)

Ethan was left with a gaping black hole in his heart. After three years of sharing his every thought with the woman he loved, he was forced to accept that she no longer wanted anything from him.

          Yeah, she once enjoyed his money. Charlotte lived for the honor and prestige that came with the idea of becoming a military wife, but she had no plans to make the sacrifices so many service member spouses were forced to make. When their loved ones returned from duty... broken... mangled... no longer the same, they stepped up and sacrificed themselves to share their love and impart a sense of normalcy in a veteran's life.

          Charlotte did none of that. It was never her intention to give him anything. She was only there to receive as much as she could until she was required to step up in some meaningful way. Once she grifted as much as possible, like a bull in a china shop... she was out. Charlotte made sure she not only burned her bridge with Ethan, but she also ripped it down brick by brick and then demolished it with a wrecking ball.

          After a month, he was ready to accept the fact that she wasn't going to return. As the fog cleared, a sensitive issue and indeed a critical concern inched back into his weary mind. Ethan was confronted with the way he'd previously treated Valerie.

          He moved around the house in his wheelchair quietly wondering if she would quit her job. Since Charlotte was no longer there to run interference, he assumed his healthcare worker would leave the moment she understood her former employer had cleared out.

          The first week was brutal. He didn't have a game plan to explain what had happened between him and his ex. Ethan often wondered if she would believe him if he shared the whole sorted mess regarding the lies Charlotte told.

          When week two rolled around, his worries began to fade. Valerie never missed a beat. Every morning at exactly five o'clock, she walked through the door. Valerie was so reliable, his alarm would go off the moment he heard his second set of keys rattling in the lock. Not even one time had she called in or showed up late. Because she was so reliable, he allowed her to move everything around to accommodate her schedule.

          As soon as she arrived, she would help him to the bathroom for a shower, a shave and she assisted him with getting dressed. Ethan often found himself reflecting on the work of healthcare workers. These people were responsible for assisting their patients with everyday activities of daily living that the average person took for granted.

          After some time had passed, he was able to do a lot for himself. Occasionally, he still needed help with some articles of clothing. But for the most part, he was doing better day by day. Ethan hadn't fully signed on to the idea of going to physical therapy yet, because the progress he made at home suited him well enough.

          He remained amazed at the newfound knowledge that Valeria was by his side before he came out of the coma. She astounded him by staying on after he found out his ex-fiancée was a deceptive reptile. Soon he came to show nothing but undying appreciation for the work Valerie did. Ethan witnessed how hard she labored to stick to the rules in every task and found himself increasingly taken by her professionalism.

          Military personnel was expected to carry themselves with dignity, honor, and respect. Valerie did so with ease, and as such, her efforts won his favor.

*****

As the days turned into months, they settled into a quiet routine. Every once in a blue moon a different CNA filled in for Valerie.

          Before he became her only client, Valerie worked for an agency that provided her with patients to look after. If she was required to go out of town for training or anything of that nature, they would simply contact the agency and request a CNA to fill-in for her.