He stood up, raw knuckles grazing against his jeans as he shoved his hands in his pockets, hunching his shoulders against the chill. From the shadows, he watched her unload a wheelchair from the back seat, unfolding it and expertly clipping on the wheels. She hoisted herself out of the car and into the wheelchair, so preoccupied that she didn’t even notice him.
His heart raced. He felt like a voyeur. Considering he had expected to see her in a wheelchair all this time, why did it bother him so much to see it now?
Now or never.
He stepped out of the shadows and made his way down the path towards her. She grabbed a sports bag from the back seat of the car and dropped it into her lap, turning to close the car door.
“Hey.”
She whirled on him, clearly startled.
“Sorry,” he held up his hands. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
His shadow engulfed her as the security light from the outside of the house illuminated them. He felt like he was in the spotlight, which in more than one sense, he was.
“I hope you don’t mind me coming around like this, I know it’s late.”
She recovered quickly. “No, it’s okay. You just took me by surprise, that’s all. I didn’t know if… it doesn’t matter. Do you want to come inside?”
“Thanks,” he smiled thinly.
He followed her up the path in silence, hanging back as she navigated the ramp alongside the steps easily.
“Come in,” she said over her shoulder, reaching up to unlock the door and using the doorframe to pull herself over the threshold.
He followed, closing the door behind him as she deposited her keys on the hall table. She dropped the sports bag onto the floor beside her and they stared at each other awkwardly.
“Do you want coffee? Or maybe a beer, or something?”
He nodded, even though his stomach lurched at the thought of alcohol. “Coffee would be great, thanks.”
She smiled, a nervous smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes, and turned to head down the hallway. He fought not to stare as she powered her wheelchair with smooth, even strokes. He struggled with the image, pushing aside a flashback from another time – Ally striding down this same hallway wearing purple boots with two-inch heels and a long, flowing dress. Slowly, he followed her.
Watching her prepare the coffee machine, his resolve began to crumble. Was it fair to make her decide?
She pulled out two mugs and set them on the table before flicking her wet hair over her shoulder.
Desperate to fill the silence suddenly, he gave small talk a shot. “You’ve been swimming?”
“Yeah, with Callum. It’s kind of a Sunday night ritual,” she said, lifting a handful of wet hair and sniffing. “I stink of chlorine. I should probably go rinse my hair. Help yourself to the coffee, I won’t be long.”
He stepped into the kitchen as she moved to pass him and his hand shot out, latching onto her shoulder.
“I need to ask you something,” he blurted out before he could stop himself. “I want to do the right thing here, so I’m asking you what you want. If you want me to stay, I will. But if you think that it’s just screwing everything up, me being here, then I’ll go. It’s up to you.”
Silence descended on them, the grandfather clock in the hallway marking the seconds as they passed.
“Do you want to go?” she whispered, a vulnerability that took his breath away bobbing just beneath the surface.
“No. But if you want me to, I will.”
Her chin trembled and she looked so frightened, he fought the urge to reach down and take her in his arms.
“I don’t want you to go.”
Four Years Earlier
Callum sat on the step outside Jack’s house, waiting. When Jack finally came outside, tugging a Pearl Jam t-shirt down over his jeans, he grinned at Callum and slapped him on the back, sitting down next to him.
“Cool shirt, dude. That new?” Callum asked, grinning back at him.
“Present from Ally.”
“Nice. You all set for later?”
“Yep.” Jack patted the pocket of his jeans.
“Nervous?”
“Kinda.”
“You know she’s gonna say yes.”
“Yeah, I think you’re right.”
“Wow,” Callum raised his eyebrows. “Married – you. Dude, don’t look now but I think you’re a grown-up.”
Jack chuckled.
“You’ll be getting a mortgage next. Just seems like yesterday we were setting fire to Jolene Parker’s hair on the school bus,” Callum mused. “And now it’s all over. Married, mortgage, then kids and all that other scary shit.”
“Funny, I thought a best man’s job was to keep the groom calm? Not freak him out.”
At that, Callum beamed. “Best man – I’m gonna be a best man. This is gonna be the best bachelor party ever. Ever – I swear to you, I won’t let you down.”
“If you have anything in mind that’s gonna see me naked and tied to any traffic sign anywhere in town, just forget it – right now.”
Callum just grinned wickedly.
“I mean it. Not cool. At all.”
Callum feigned seriousness for a moment. “Okay. Got it. What about strippers? Where do you stand on strippers?”
Jack fumbled over his words, trying not to smile.
“You worry too much. You’re like an old woman in a dude’s body. Chillax, okay? It’ll be fine. Leave it to Uncle Callum.”
“Really?” Jack stared at him. “Old woman in a dude’s body?”
“Calling it like I see it.”