His smile grew. “We can do that. We can even do sessions at the facility.”
“Oh, great!”
“Excited are we?”
“Can you blame me? My mother won’t let me drive, my sister checks on me every night, and I have a pile of get-well cards. I appreciate it, but I need some breathing room.”
“We’ll make it work.”
“Good. So… I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“I’ll be there for your field trip.”
Her giggle was the last thing he heard as he hung up.
“I’m guessing everything is okay?” Desmond’s eyebrows raised.
“Just rescheduling an appointment.”
“Okay, I won’t ask anymore.”
“Since when do you stay out of it?”
“Been working on myself.”
“Some self-improvement program Morgan enrolled you in?”
Desmond narrowed his eyes. “Man, no. I do stuff for me that’s got nothing to do with Morgan. She’s her own person just as I am. Together though it’s…”
Allen knew what his cousin meant. Magical. He felt that with Crystal. Her father was a high-paid attorney in San Francisco, closing million to billion-dollar deals with company mergers and buyouts.
Crystal wanted to follow in her father’s footsteps. Allen admired her determination to be a career woman, but he thought once they married, she would slow down for their family. She didn’t want children. It was her choice, but once the words left Crystal’s mouth, he forgot to breathe. Then the accident changed everything.
“Anyway, I need to go and clean up. Catch you later?” Desmond said, disturbing his thoughts.
“Yeah, man. See you later.” Allen grabbed his bag. After hitting the showers, he bundled in his coat, scarf, and beanie knit cap. He would check on his father prior to heading home. His father never ceased to give him sound advice.
Pulling into his father’s driveway, snowflakes edged the dark skeletal trees. Snowmen were in the middle of neighboring yards and crisp air with an ozone scent filled his nose.
“Dad?” He opened the front door with his key and closed the door behind him. He rubbed at his arms to regain warmth.
“In here,” his dad said. He didn’t sound as tired from the last time.
Allen was grateful. “You feeling okay today?”
His father turned to face him with a mug in his hand. He never ceased to drink from the coffee cup his son gave him. “Moving around a little. What brings you here in the middle of the week?”
Allen loosened his scarf but kept it around his neck. “I met Desmond at the gym for some hoops. I have an appointment at the facility in a few.”
“But you wanted to check on your old man?” His father came over and patted his arm. “You’re a good man.”
Allen’s chest swelled with joy. “I… um…”
“Something wrong?”
He rubbed the back of his head. “I don’t know. It caught me off guard.”
“Is it work? The townspeople? You’ll get used to it.”