Sun On My Face, Wind in My Hair

Chapter Seventeen

Christopher awakened with Penny laying across his chest and having his arms around her. He smiled as he looked at her, thinking how beautiful she was.

Chris gently moved a tendril of hair from Penny’s face. The move awakened her, and she looked up at him smiling contentedly.

“Good morning, beautiful. Would you mind helping me into my chair so I can go to the bathroom?” Chris asked.

Penny held the chair as Chris scooted himself over into the chair. Once he was in the chair, his legs cramped up and went into spasms, jumping uncontrollably. Chris cried out in pain as he rubbed his thighs. Penny bent down and quickly massaged his legs, her eyes filling with tears in sympathy.

Slowly the spasms eased and then stopped, leaving his legs aching. Penny looked up at him sadly. It hurt her seeing him suffer like that.

“Let me get your medicines and some water,” she suggested, hopping up from the floor and running away so he didn’t see her sobbing over his situation.

April was making coffee, and saw Penny coming in, overwhelmed with sadness.

“Oh, Cuz honey, what’s wrong?” April asked, hugging her dear friend.

Penny told her about the spasms and pain tearfully. She sobbed on April’s shoulder as they hugged.

“He says that this is a sign the nerves are coming back to life…but it’s so hard to watch him suffer like that,” Penny confessed.

“Then, we praise the Lord for the healing that he is doing, and believe that soon Chris will be walking again,” April encouraged her. Penny nodded, wiping away her tears.

Chris was looking out the window, trying to remember his past life to no avail. He wanted to remember everything, but so far, nothing was coming back to him.

Penny put on a smile and came in with his medicines and a glass of water.

“Here you go, Sweetheart. Take these and you’ll feel better,” she said with mock cheerfulness.

Chris looked up at Penny to thank her and saw her red eyes. He reached out for her hand, gently caressing it, smiling.

“Thank you, Beautiful. We will get through this together. We Got this, right? We just gotta push through the process. I can do anything as long as you are by my side,” Chris told her, kissing the top of Penny’s hand as he looked up at her.

“I’ll be here. With me, you and God we can do anything,” Penny assured him.

Chris took the pills and asked her to help him get dressed in a jogging suit for his therapy session.

“They sent me a text message saying that they would send a therapist this morning around ten,” Chris told her.

“I’ll have a nurse checking on me too,” he added, grinning and wiggling his eyebrows at her, teasing.

“Oh yeah? Well, I’m gonna be right by your side the whole time, Mister. After that last woman tried to snatch you away from me, I’m not trusting any woman around you for a while,” she said, bending over to kiss him softly.

At breakfast, the children were loud and chatty, and full of questions about Christopher’s injury. They were as anxious as Penny to see him up and walking again.

April had made blueberry pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon, and the family were devouring their meal amongst lively conversation.

Penny got Liam and Michael ready for school as April got Angel ready for preschool.

“Daddy, daddy, I stay with you,” Angel cried, reaching up to Chris with her arms raised. Fortunately, his upper body strength was strong enough to pick the child up and place her on his lap.

“You go to school and have fun with your friends while Daddy does his exercises, and tonight I will watch one of your favorite movies with you,” Christopher vowed.

“Fwozen?” She asked. Chris smiled and promised the child he would watch Frozen with her.

“Bye boys. Be good in school. I’ll pass a football with you this evening,” Chris promised. The boys smiled, excited to play ball with their dad.

Chris couldn’t remember his family, but he was happy to be a part of this home and this family, and until his memory did return, he was making the most of it.