Fix My Feet When They're Stumblin'

Chapter 51

    Ronnie hobbled along behind his wife and Brandon's three boys, watching as they all crowded around the Flowers' hotel room door. Ammon carried a paper shopping bag, beaming down at it with pride.

    Olivia knocked softly on the door, her ear up against the wood. They waited for a time until the door clicked open, and Tana peeked out, her finger held to her lips for silence. Ronnie narrowed his eyes - her hair was tangled and disheveled, and her blue eyes were bloodshot and red-rimmed. A faint flame of hope stirred in his heart. She's been crying. Maybe Brandon really did manage to come clean?

    One by one, they all crept inside, closing the door quietly behind them. Ronnie's eyes were immediately drawn to Brandon as he slept curled on the bed, his back to the rest of the room. He raised his eyebrows at Tana, a silent question, but she shook her head, pursing her lips - ahh, damn it - before Henry tugged on her sleeve and took her attention away.

    "Mom, look!" he whispered, bouncing up and down on his balls of his feet and pointing at Ammon's bag. "We got dad some stuff that might help!"

    "Oh!"

    Tana leaned over to peer inside the bag. Ammon held it up for her, but didn't open the bag, glancing over at his father, and whispered, "I don't wanna wake dad up, but we used our chore money! We got him earplugs and puzzles and coloring books, so maybe he can have something to do with us when he's feeling a little better," he said quietly, biting his lip uncertainly. "Since he can't...you know, he can't really do music right now."

    Tana grinned, hugging Ammon tightly and waving her younger sons over for a group hug. "I think that's a great idea, it's wonderful! We'll have to try them out when he's feeling better, you're right. How thoughtful!" She took the bag from him carefully, wincing when the paper crinkled loudly as it switched hands, and placed it gently beside her suitcase.

    "We still have an hour and a half until we have to leave, so I thought we could just all take naps - being stuck in the car so much is exhausting, even if you're not driving, right? Just make sure you guys are all packed first, make sure you have everything."

    The kids disappeared into their room, and Ronnie made his way over to Tana. "Hey, how'd it go?" he murmured, nodding at Brandon.

    She shook her head and opened her mouth to speak, but looked at her husband and seemed to think better of it. Instead, she walked to the door and opened it, motioning them out into the hall. Ronnie and Olivia obeyed, and she followed and closed the door behind her.

    "I gave him the first dose of all his pills when he woke up and it wiped him out because he insisted on taking every one himself, and that's just - you know, it's a lot of fine motor control, a lot of focus. All the things he has trouble with. I felt horrible, he was so tired...he couldn't finish taking them, but he kept refusing to let me help, either."

    Tana scrubbed her face furiously with her hand and sighed, before looking back up at him with tired eyes. "It's so damn hard to watch, Ronnie...I mean, I kept asking him to let me help, but he forced himself to keep going and take them all himself just so that I didn't have to help him. He looked like he was gonna pass out after he finally got the last pill, he was just so - so done.

    "We're fucking married, helping each other is the whole point. But he won't...he won't let me. I don't get it - I know they said his judgment and decision making is impaired, and he just gets stuck on things, maybe that's what this is? Brandon just absolutely refuses to let me help him. He took a nap, then a shower and had breakfast all by himself, too - so he'll be tired today, he's working hard - and then I tried to talk to him, but...it was a disaster."